Injured Player’s Mother in Vietnam Cleared for Visa

The mother and three brothers of Kiet Le, the La Quinta High School football player who is in a coma after collapsing during a game, have been cleared for exit visas from Vietnam, a family spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Pauline Le, Kiet’s sister, said the family received the good news in a telephone call Tuesday from the office of Rep. Robert K. Dornan (R-Garden Grove).

“We’ve heard that they have been cleared for exit visas, which means they’re closer to coming to the United States,” the sister said.

Kiet Le, has not seen his mother, Nguyen Thi Ngoc Ly, since he and his father escaped Vietnam aboard a boat 11 years ago. His father, fearful that pirates would harm the mother and younger children, decided that only he and Kiet, who was then 5, would flee.

Emigration efforts are also under way for Kiet’s brothers--Le Trong Tuan, 18, Le Trong Viet, 14, and Le Trong Hoa, 12.

Pauline Le said her brother’s condition is now “very stable,” although he remains in a coma, connected to life-support systems, at UCI Medical Center in Orange.

Kiet was taken to the medical center after a junior varsity football game Sept 8. Minutes after tackling an opposing player, Kiet, who played defensive end for La Quinta, stumbled and collapsed on the field.

He was rushed to the medical center where he underwent surgery to remove a blood clot on his brain.

A staff member in Dornan’s Washington office said the congressman sent a letter to the White House asking for help and has been in contact with the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, and the United Nations’ Orderly Departure Program, also in Bangkok.

Paul Morrell, Dornan’s spokesman, seemed confident the Vietnamese government would not prevent the family from leaving and enjoying a reunion in the United States.

“From what we’ve been able to learn about the Vietnamese . . . they appear to be doing everything they can to expedite the departure,” Morrell said.

La Quinta’s principal, Andrew McTaggart, said airline tickets have been purchased but no departure date for the family has been set.