Vietnam's smallest boy Dinh Van K'Re. Photo: VNN

K'Re was taken to the hospital after he had a stroke at Son Ba Primary School's canteen on November 5 and died four days later. 

Dr Tran Dinh Diep, the hospital's head of Intensive Care and Toxic Management Department, said K'Re was unable to breathe on his own and had developed heart problems, sepsis and encephalitis.

"He was put on a ventilator," said the doctor. "We tried our efforts to treat but he was in a chemical-induced coma."

K’Re is the son of 30-year-old Dinh Van An and 28-year-old Dinh Thi Pia, living in Go Da Village in Son Ba Commune, Son Ha District.

An and Pia are close relatives and married in 2006. Their first son, Dinh Van Sieng, K’Re’s elder brother, was born healthy one year later.

Pia gave birth to her second son, K’Re, after eight months of pregnancy in 2009. At birth, K’Re weighed just 600g and was the length of a hand. They thought his small size was due to being born prematurely. However, at the age of seven, K’Re weighed 3kg and measured 50cm in height. He was unable to speak or walk normally.

He suffered from Seckel syndrome, a genetic disorder characterised by growth retardation and microcephaly, or a small head. Only around ten cases of the syndrome have been recorded worldwide.

In 2013, teacher Dang Van Cuong, the principal of Son Ba Primary Boarding School met K'Re by chance. 

Moved by his tiny appearance, the teacher encouraged the parents to enrol him at school when he was old enough.

Keeping his word, two years later, when K’Re was seven, Cuong travelled over three kilometres through the forest to persuade his parents to let him go to school.

Recently, the teacher brought K'Re to live with his family in Quang Ngai City and K'Re studied at Quang Ngai Centre for Educational Integration Supporting. 

Minister of Education and Training Phung Xuan Nha went to meet him in March, 2018.  VNS

Vietnam's smallest student enjoys great changes at school

Four years after being taken to school, 10-year-old Dinh Van K’Re who is known as the smallest student in Vietnam has seen great changes in his life.