Running with Tony Buti: Plastic surgeon Dr Hanh Nguyen never forgets families killed fleeing Vietnam

Dr Hanh Nguyen is a Plastic Surgeon, Hand Surgery Specialist and founder and CEO of RediMed, a multifaceted health service company. He arrived in Perth as a Vietnamese refugee aged 14. We caught up at Jacob’s Ladder. Tony Buti: Can you tell us about the journey—how did you come to Australia? Hanh Nguyen: We were a large family our parents plus seven boys and two girls. After the Communists took over South Vietnam my parents decided we needed to escape from Vietnam. My eldest brother was already in Australia studying on a Colombo Plan Scholarship. Around July-August 1978 the rest of us (10) went to the coast, and we got onto a small wooden boat—about 15 metres long, carrying about 175 people. Not too long after leaving the coast at night time we hit something. The water started flooding in, and the boat began to sink. I grabbed onto a floating wooden trunk. You couldn’t see anyone around you. It was pitch dark, and all you could do was hang on for your life. TB: And the rest of the family? HN: Tragically, half my family didn’t survive, including my parents, my two younger sisters, and my younger brother. Only five of us brothers survived the shipwreck. We drifted back to the coast ending up in a small coastal town, where we stayed before attempting to leave again. During this time, we lived with various families who took us in out of kindness. TB: Did you leave all together the second time? HN: No. We sat down as a family and discussed what we should do. We decided that we needed to split up. We feared that if there was another shipwreck, the entire family could be lost. So, two brothers left after a few months and then six months later, I and my other two brothers left. TB: How big was the boat this time? HN: It was bigger — about 25 metres long and it carried around 500 people. We were at sea for two or three nights before arriving off the coast of Malaysia. I was in the bottom of the boat, and it was pitch dark down there. It was suffocating, and the smell was unbearable. That’s why I always think that when I have a bad day, it can’t be worse than that. TB: When you arrived in Malaysia where did you go? HN: We were taken to Pulau Bidong, one of the largest refugee camps at the time, with about 30,000 people on the island. By chance we saw our two brothers that have left Vietnam six months earlier. We were shocked to see them. TB: How long did it take from that point until you came to Australia? HN: It took about 11 months. We arrived in Perth in January 1980. We went to the Graylands Hostel and enrolled at Swanbourne High School. I was 14 years old at the time. TB: What grade did you start in? HN: I started in an English as a Second Language (ESL) class. After a little while they placed me in Year 8. I was strong in maths, so they moved me up to Year 9 before the end of the year. The next year, 1981, I completed Year 10, and by end of 1983 I had completed my TEE (Tertiary Entrance Examination). TB: And your TEE aggregate was good enough for you to enter medical school at The University of Western Australia in 1984? HN: Yes, I was fortunate. TB: When you arrived in Australia could you speak any English? HN: None. TB: How did you learn English? HN: I watched TV, listened to the radio, and read a lot. I remember staying up all night listening to cricket commentary on the radio, even though I didn’t understand most of it. But over time, I started to pick up on words. I also went to the library and got picture books to start with. Once I finished those, I moved to cartoons and then grade schoolbooks. By focusing on small, achievable steps, I went from children’s books to novels like John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. TB: Why did you specialise in plastic surgery? HN: I was drawn to plastic surgery because it combines creativity and precision. It’s not just about cosmetic procedures — it’s also about reconstruction and improving people’s lives in very tangible ways. Whether it’s repairing injuries, helping burn victims, or reconstructing after cancer surgery, the work is incredibly rewarding. TB: What’s the longest operation you’ve done? HN: Probably 26 hours. That was in the US where a patient had lost six or seven fingers and I had to reattach each one. Each finger takes about three to four hours. TB: You went through so much at such an early age. How has it shape your outlook on life? HN: I and my surviving brothers felt we had to achieve something to honour the death of our parents and three siblings. It drove us to work hard. It has also given me perspective and strength during challenging times. And it made me realize just how grateful I am for what I have. Every day is a blessing. No matter how tough things get, you know the tough times will pass, and there will always be good people around you. It’s important to spread kindness and be part of the society that makes things better.