Thien Nhan was abandoned by his teenage mother as a newborn and was so badly mauled by a wild dog that he lost his right leg. His groin was also badly savaged.

He was adopted by Tran Mai Anh, a Hanoi journalist and her husband, journalist Phung Quang Nghinh.

The Straits Times ran a story about Thien Nhan's plight in 2008 and Mr Lee decided to help raise funds for the many operations the child will need as he grows up.

Mr Lee got an update from Ms Tran. Thien Nhan is turning 10 this year. He is doing well at school and enjoys learning aikido, a form of Japanese martial arts.

Thien Nhan is also active in helping other kids who need genital and urinary surgery, visiting them in hospital and explaining what to expect. He also helps with fund- raising.

So far, the surgeons who did Thien Nhan's operations have gone back to Vietnam nine times to perform surgery on 180 other children with genital and urinary problems.

This year, an English/Vietnamese documentary film about Thien Nhan, called The Human Flame, was released.