Radio Times

Review by:

Alison Graham

Two-year-old Viet was born with savage facial deformities that have left him unable to see and to talk. If he doesn’t undergo corrective surgery, he will never be able to eat or to speak properly. Viet lives in Vietnam. Luckily for him volunteer British surgeons working with the Facing the World charity take on his case and, with his mum, he is flown to London for a nine-hour operation.

Documentaries like this are upsetting; but the surgery, shown in great detail, is truly remarkable. You’ll be lost in admiration.

About this programme

The story of a two-year-old Vietnamese boy born with one of the world's rarest facial deformities. In addition to a cleft palate, Viet has a two-inch gap in the bone on each side of his face that will increase as he grows, and his condition does not just affect his appearance - he is also blind in both eyes. This documentary follows a British medical team led by surgeon Niall Kirkpatrick, who try to rebuild Viet's face in a series of extremely challenging operations. Last in the series.

Cast and crew

Crew

Director

Max Baring

Executive Producer

Jazz Gowans

Executive Producer

Richard Hughes

Producer

Max Baring

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