Going to school with Vietnam's tiniest student

Dinh Van K’Re has been studying at Son Ba boarding school in Quang Ngai Province for three years. Now at the age of 10, the ethnic boy weighs only 3.9 kilograms (8.6 pounds) and is still a 1st grader.

K’Re has Seckel syndrome, a rare disorder that prevents him from growing physically and mentally. Principal Dang Van Cuong was the one that brought the tiny boy from his remote village in the central province to the school, taking care of the boy like his own son and helping him adapt to boarding school life. Now K’Re calls him by “papa” in his ethnic language and usually spends the weekend at his house, playing with his two children.

Given the boy’s health condition that makes him a late talker with poor memories, Cuong and other teachers do not force him to study hard but focus on helping him build basic life skills.

From a boy that could not do anything by himself, K’Re can now use the rest room, feed himself, take off his shoes, walk to his classroom and climb into his seat.

K'Re's teachers said teaching him to do all those things is the way to help him get along with his friends, reduce the gap between him and others and change the way people think of him and even the way he has thought about himself.

Like any other children, K’Re now knows how to greet older people in an appropriate manner, extend his hand to ask for something he wants or ask for help, use sign language and understand most of what others talk to him.

In the eyes of both teachers and friends, K’Re is a playful and lovely baby.

Most children at the school adore the tiny boy and try to help him in different ways.

A girl helps K’Re fix his clothes.

K’Re said he has many friends to play with, especially when they play with balls or cars. Three years ago when he first came to the school, K’Re was a shy and scared boy.

K’Re is seen in the bedroom of the boarding school. At his village, neighbors call him a monkey. Now he is treated like any other kids at Son Ba school.