3-year-old to get life-saving repair at Miller Children's in Long Beach

By Greg Mellen,
Press-Telegram Staff Writer
Posted: 30th March, 2011

LONG BEACH - When Peter Chhun returned from Cambodia to the U.S. in early March, he knew only that he wanted to save a boy's life. The devil was in the details. As it turned out, Chhun had an angel on his shoulders.

While Chhun was talking to doctors abroad to find someone to perform life-saving heart surgery on a young impoverished Cambodian boy, Dr. David Michalik was quietly helping forge a deal much closer to home.

Barring unforeseen complications, it appears 3-year-old Bunlak Song, who suffers from a substantial ventricular septal defect, or hole in his heart, will be operated on at Miller Children's Hospital/Long Beach Memorial Medical Center.

Thoracic surgeon Daniel Bethencourt of the Bethencourt Group has agreed to perform the surgery.

On Friday, the boy will meet with a cardiology team at the hospital for tests and to ensure he is a good candidate for the surgery.

Michalik, who specializes in pediatric infectious diseases at Miller, had met young Bunlak and his family in Cambodia, and after seeing the desperate conditions under which the boy and his adoptive family lived, decided he would see if he could arrange to have the boy treated in Long Beach.

"Over the next couple weeks, I'd catch people in the hallway," Michalik said. "All the physicians without hesitation said, `Yes."'

Once Michalik had the team formed, which also includes pediatric cardiologist Dominic Blurton, he went to the administration and got the go-ahead.

Although the date is still to be determined, Bunlak is expected to have the surgery within a month.

Initially there had been talk of operating on the boy as early as Wednesday. But after further discussions, it was decided to take extra time to examine the boy, have him meet doctors and do tests.

"It seemed the stars just aligned," Michalik says of how swiftly and seamlessly the plan to operate on Bunlak has come together. "I can't explain why it happened so quickly."

Chhun has been overwhelmed by the response and the positive feedback locally.

"I never expected it to come together like this," said Chhun, whose Hearts Without Boundaries nonprofit has been able to help three children receive the heart surgeries not readily available in their home country.

Three weeks ago, Chhun brought Bunlak to the U.S. with little more than faith and hope.

Chhun had learned that the child's heart condition was worse than originally thought and he needed surgery "yesterday" in the words of one cardiologist.

Chhun was able to get a doctor from the International Children's Heart Foundation to agree to operate on Bunlak in one of the group's overseas missions. The catch was the fledgling nonprofit would need to raise about $15,000 for hospital and travel costs.

Although Hearts Without Boundaries had successfully brokered the same deal last year, when Dr. Roderigo Soto repaired the heart of Socheat Nha, Chhun was hoping Michalik and Miller Children's Hospital would come through.

On Tuesday he got his answer and Bunlak will likely have his heart repaired right here.

"He'll be a whole new boy," Michalik said.

greg.mellen@presstelegram.com, 562-499-1291