Hanoi, November 4th, 2025.

Mr. Greig Craft, President of the AIP Foundation, godfather of Thien Nhan, and co-founder of the “Thien Nhan & Friends” program for children with urogenital malformations, has been conferred the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic by its government. The award is Italy’s highest civilian honor for exceptional contributions to humanitarian and social causes.

The official award ceremony was held on November 4, 2025, in Hanoi, in the presence of H.E. Marco della Seta, Ambassador of Italy to Vietnam. The occasion recognizes Mr. Craft’s long-standing contributions to fostering medical cooperation between Italy and Vietnam, particularly through his collaboration with Italian doctors to support patients in need and to promote medical exchange programs between Vietnam and Italy.

The award recognizes Greig Craft’s outstanding dedication and lasting impact on the lives of Vietnamese children. He has accompanied Thien Nhan and his mother since the early days of their medical journey, which took them from Singapore to the United States, Italy, and Belgium. For more than three decades, Mr. Craft has been tirelessly committed to humanitarian and diplomatic work in Vietnam. He was a pioneer in normalizing U.S.–Vietnam relations, the founder of AmCham Vietnam, and the visionary behind Protec, recognized as the first non-profit helmet factory in the world, created to safeguard millions of children and motorcyclists globally.

In 2011, he was awarded the Order of Friendship by the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. In 2025, his lifelong dedication is once again internationally recognized: the

“Mr. Greig Craft is not only a great friend of Vietnam and Italy, but a symbol of enduring connection between medicine, compassion, and international friendship,” said Ambassador Marco della Seta. “From organizing 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.”

Yet for Greig Craft, the most meaningful reward lies not in titles or medals, but in stepping into clinics and operating rooms alongside Italian and Vietnamese surgeons, where each child’s smile after surgery is a living testament to the healing power of kindness and global solidarity.

It was out of deep compassion for Thien Nhan – a baby who was abandoned and severely injured in a tragic incident. The miraculously survived – and a desire to offer a full life to children born with or affected by urogenital malformations, that Greig Craft, together with extraordinary individuals Ms. Tran Mai Anh, Ms. Na Huong, and Italian surgeon Dr. Roberto De Castro, co-founded the “Thien Nhan & Friends” program in 2011.

After 15 years of sustained efforts, the program has provided free medical consultations and reconstructive surgeries to thousands of children across Vietnam. In partnership with leading Vietnamese hospitals and a network of volunteer doctors principally from Italy along with the UK, Turkey, the U.S., and Vietnam. Beyond surgical treatment, the program organizes professional workshops, facilitates international training for Vietnamese doctors, and donates essential medical equipment to local Vietnam hospitals – helping to build long term and sustainable capacity within Vietnam’s healthcare system.