Meet Hai, the subject of TLC's latest medical special "The Man With the 200-Lb Tumor" (premiere Wed., June 6, 10 p.m. ET on TLC).
We've got the exclusive first look at Hai, a 31-year-old from a remote region of Vietnam who's been bed-ridden for six years due to a genetic disorder called neurofibromatosis, which causes tumors to grow on nerves in the body. Hai's tumor has grown to weigh 200 pounds -- twice as much as his frail frame. He can't walk since the tumor has literally usurped one of his legs and feet entirely, so he needs constant care.
The tumor is slowly killing Hai, though -- doctors have given him less than a year to live since the growth is siphoning so much of his body's blood supply. Luckily, a friend reached out to Dr. McKay McKinnon from Chicago, a renowned plastic surgeon who's made it his mission to help patients with fatal tumors around the world. For this surgery, Dr. McKinnon has to travel to Ho Chi Minh City since Hai can't travel, and the people there aren't exactly on board with his extreme (but necessary) treatment methods.
Basically, it'll take a miracle for Hai to survive, even with the surgery -- the surgery that will leave him with a hip-level amputation on one side of his body. This clip isn't easy to watch, but it is fascinating. We're not saying it completely makes up for TLC's recently announced "Toddlers & Tiaras" spin-off "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo," but it does remind us that the "L" in TLC once stood for learning.
Tell us: Will you watch "The Man With the 200lb Tumor"?
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