Authorised by the Italian Government, Marco della Seta, Ambassador of Italy to Viet Nam, presented Greig Craft with the Order of Merit of Italy - the nation’s highest civilian honour for exceptional contributions to humanitarian and social causes.
The ceremony was witnessed by representatives of international organisations, Ha Noi-based humanitarian and social organisations, friends and colleagues, as well as doctors and medical professionals from Viet Nam, Italy, and other countries.
The award recognises Greig Craft’s outstanding dedication and lasting impact on the lives of Vietnamese children.
Greig Craft is not only a great friend of Viet Nam and Italy, but a symbol of enduring connection between medicine, compassion, and international friendship, said Ambassador Marco della Seta.
From organising life-changing surgeries to building cross-border training networks, he has helped create a humanitarian ecosystem that has truly transformed the lives of thousands of Vietnamese families.
Marco della Seta,
Ambassador of Italy to Viet Nam
For more than three decades, Craft has been committed to humanitarian and diplomatic work in Viet Nam. He has accompanied Thien Nhan and his mother since the early days of their medical journey, which has taken them from Singapore to the US, Italy, and Belgium.
He was a pioneer in normalising US–Viet Nam relations, the founder of AmCham Viet Nam, and the visionary behind Protec, the world’s first nonprofit helmet factory, created to help safeguard millions of children and motorcyclists. In 2011, he was awarded the Order of Friendship by the President of Viet Nam.
Yet for Craft, the most meaningful reward lies not in titles or medals but in stepping into clinics and operating rooms alongside Italian and Vietnamese surgeons. There, each child’s smile after surgery reflects the value of coordinated kindness and care across countries.
Out of deep compassion for Thien Nhan, a baby who was abandoned and severely injured in a tragic incident and who miraculously survived, and out of a desire to offer a full life to children born with or affected by urogenital malformations, Greig Craft, together with Tran Mai Anh, Na Huong, and Italian surgeon Dr. Roberto De Castro, co-founded the “Thien Nhan & Friends” programme in 2011.
After 15 years of sustained efforts, the programme has provided free medical consultations and reconstructive surgeries to thousands of children across Viet Nam. Working in partnership with leading Vietnamese hospitals and a network of volunteer doctors, principally from Italy and also from the UK, Turkey, the US, and Viet Nam, it has expanded access to care.
Beyond surgery, the programme organises professional workshops, facilitates international training for Vietnamese doctors, and donates essential medical equipment to local Vietnamese hospitals, helping to build long-term, sustainable capacity within Viet Nam’s healthcare system.
