Vietnamese-born boy invented a device for warning heart failure for his mother

Worried about his ailing mother, Frank Nguyen built a heart failure warning device to monitor her health remotely.

Vietnamese-born boy invented a device for warning heart failure

Frank and his mother, Lan, settled in northern Toronto (Canada). Lan is often ill. After the war, she had ear infections but was not treated, followed by a series of other illnesses. At grade 6, Frank was aware of the state of his mother and the boy often worried.'The sick mother gets worse and worse,' Frank remembers, 'I was so afraid she might be doing something I didn't know.' Ms. Lan is currently blind in one eye and hearing is very poor. She was also dizzy, had a thyroid problem and often had to see a doctor because of an irregular heartbeat. They live on Frank's part-time jobs and government subsidies.

Frank Nguyen and his mother.(Photo: The Star).

Wishing to do something for her mother, the 17-year-old attended Ryerson University summer camp. Here, he designed the first prototype of a heart failure warning device . The device is yellow, worn on the wrist and monitored for heart rate. If the wearer has a heart attack, the device will immediately send emergency messages to relatives and emergency services. So Frank will be able to monitor his mother's health from a distance and can be present in time if something happens.

Lan said, Frank had to drop out of school for a year to follow his mother to Vietnam to seek medical treatment. When he returned to Canada, he was weak in English but quickly improved and was continuously awarded a scholarship. He was accepted into famous and award-winning schools for scientific projects. Frank often stayed up all night to study.'I asked her if she was gifted or persistent, she answered that perseverance , ' said Lan.

Frank's heart failure warning device.(Photo: The Star).

When she knew she was the inspiration for her breakthrough device, Lan was very touched. During the product presentation of the summer camp, she thanked Frank in Vietnamese and interviewed that she was extremely proud of her son.

Frank will enter 12th grade in the next few weeks. After graduating, he plans to study at the University of Waterloo to continue developing heart failure warning devices as well as electronics manufacturing. Frank said he would definitely bring his mother along.