Children taking their stronger hearts back home to Mongolia

Monday, July 9, 2001 | 9:07 a.m.

Two children who came to Las Vegas from Mongolia for heart surgery are heading home with a new chance at a normal life.

Usukhbayar Baassandorj, 6, and Naranjargal Oyun-Erdene, 4, arrived in Las Vegas June 5. Their trip was sponsored by Samaritan's Purse, a nonprofit organization that brings critically ill children to the United States for medical treatment.

The life-saving surgery performed by the doctors at Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center are common procedures at most hospitals in the United States, but rare in Mongolia. There is only one pediatric cardiologist for the entire country of more than 2.2 million people.

Oyun-Erdene's problems included a vein that wasn't correctly connecting her heart and lungs. Doctors in Mongolia told her family the girl's case was too severe for them to attempt treatment.

Dale and Donna Lawrence agreed to host the children, along with their mothers and interpreter. They heard about Samaritan's Purse through their church, the Trinity Life Center in Las Vegas. The Lawrences said they quickly grew fond of their guests.

"We're going to miss them," Dale Lawrence said in an interview Friday. "We would like to try and visit them over there one of these days."

The church held a farewell party for the children Sunday. Several members of the Sunrise medical staff attended.

Baassandorj was released from the hospital six days after his surgery and has already returned to playing video games and hide-and-seek with his host family. Oyun-Erdene, whose surgery was more complicated, spent nearly two weeks in the hospital and battled post-operative complications, including pneumonia. Both children are expected to recover fully, according to a spokeswoman for Samaritan's Purse.

In the past few weeks the Lawrences have served as tour guides for their guests, making trips to the MGM Grand's Lion Habitat. Oyun-Erdene's mother even rode the roller coaster at New York-New York.

"She said it was fun, but she wouldn't do it again," Dale Lawrence said.