U.S. lets Neosho family bring Vietnamese orphan for treatment

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- After media and political scrutiny, United States immigration officials have reversed themselves and will allow a Neosho family to bring a sick Vietnamese orphan to the United States for treatment.

Physician Melvin Karges and his wife, Cheryl, were given permission to bring over 6-year-old Tuan Van Cao by the same government office that last month denied their request for a humanitarian waiver of visa rules. As an orphan, Tuan did not qualify for a regular visa.

"It is the answer to a prayer," Melvin Karges said.

The boy has a potentially fatal bone infection he developed after a botched operation on his diseased left hip. Bringing Tuan to the United States will allow him to get medical treatment unavailable in Vietnam, the family says.

Immigration's Parole and Humanitarian Assistance Branch had refused to issue a humanitarian waiver for Tuan, instead telling the Kargeses to try the lengthy process of international adoption, which can take a year or more.

Karges said his family, including four biological children and a 2-year-old daughter adopted from Cambodia, was rejoicing. The Kargeses and friends with adoption ties to Vietnam have arranged complete private funding to treat the boy.

A short letter from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement informed the Kargeses that the U.S. embassy in Vietnam would issue a visa for Tuan, but did not list any reasons for the reversal.

Immigration spokeswoman Jamie Zuieback said she could not give any more details because the agency does not comment on individual cases.

"I think it had something to do with all the media coverage," Karges said, referring to an initial story by The Associated Press that was carried widely.

Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo., who supported the Kargeses' initial request for a humanitarian visa in December, also contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after that request was rejected last month.

Talent "has continued to advocate on behalf of this child and the Kargeses" and was pleased by the reversal, said his spokesman, Rich Chrismer.

The Kargeses feared the boy could not survive a lengthy adoption process, and offered U.S. and Vietnamese medical declarations that the hip infection could spread at any time to the rest of his body and kill him.

The infection spread enough that Tuan was forced to undergo emergency surgery more than a week ago to clean at least some of it out.

Karges said Tuan is due to be released shortly and may be able to fly a week or so afterward.

Tuan will live with the Kargeses while he goes through a long process of removing the infection, followed by rehabilitation and physical therapy. The infection has eaten away his entire left hip bone, so his leg will probably have to be fused in place for the rest of his life.

The Kargeses have said they hope to eventually adopt Tuan.