On January 8, 2008, at the heart surgery room of Kasemrad Prachachuen Hospital, the name of Miss Prapaiporn Maenpayak, aged 4, was scheduled for surgery for a congenital heart defect with cyanosis. This made the team look at the image and predict that there would be a cry for a little child when she had to be separated from her grandmother (if she fell asleep first). But that morning, I remember the event and the image very well. It was a dark-skinned girl (or maybe black) lying on a stretcher with a plump woman sending her off in front of the operating room.
When the child was brought into the operating room, we did not hear the child’s cry as expected. Instead, we heard a conversation between the nurse and the little girl lying on the stretcher. It was learned that her name was Nong Priew (according to Priew herself). When she reached the operating table, she moved the bed by herself. The team looked at each other and could not help but smile at her cleverness. Nong Priew was very clever. The nurses spoke in unison, “Whose child is this?” Nong Priew answered that she was Mother Ple’s child. Her father’s name was Diao, and she was Grandmother Maen’s grandchild. The nurse’s voice asked, “Do you know where your house is?” In Sa Kaeo Province, Preaw replied (don’t look down on a 4-year-old child). That’s not all. She also said that she was in Kindergarten 2 or Green Kindergarten (not because she was green). But she wore a green skirt. After being in Kindergarten, she said that she would go to the older class. Judging from Preaw’s facial expression and eyes, she didn’t seem scared at all. She was willing to do everything the nurse told her to do. However, our team gave Preaw a chance to choose for herself. She said that she didn’t want to have her blood drawn. The nurse said that therefore, Preaw had to blow up balloons (not the kind that children play with), but rather anesthetized through anesthesia equipment. Without hesitation, Preaw’s right hand grabbed the mask over her nose and mouth while the nurses cheered Preaw on (giving her encouragement).
After trying to do as she was told, Preaw soon said that she blew up the balloons but had no strength and she lost consciousness. Every word and action of Preaw was so adorable, truly making our team feel good. We couldn’t help but think of our grandmother who was taking care of her and why she raised her granddaughter to be so mature and emotional. But why did Mae Ple, who is Preaw’s real mother, abandon her?
Do you know that when Preaw grows up, she will be this smart?
Nong Preaw had a successful surgery, but the impression of Nong Preaw’s story is still engraved in the hearts of the nurses in the operating room every time they talk about Nong Preaw, the green genius child, who was given a good chance to have a strong heart again. Nong Preaw has a congenital heart disease, the green type, and had to undergo two surgeries. Preaw had a pulmonary bypass surgery at Rajavithi Hospital on October 30, 2004, and had a second surgery on January 8, 2008 at Kasemrad Prachachuen Hospital.
