The Max Foundation

We’re honored to introduce you to Dr. Sonephet Saysouligno, a Pediatric Hemato-Oncologist and Head of the Hemato-Oncology Department at ໂຮງຫມໍເດັກ Children's Hospital in Vientiane, Laos.

With over 26 years of experience, Dr. Sonephet plays a key role in caring for children with complex blood disorders and cancers, supporting patients and families throughout their treatment journeys.

Swipe to learn more about his work and what continues to motivate him ➡️

🤝🏽 What does your work with patients mean to you?

I enjoy my work very much, especially caring for patients and supporting them through their treatment. Seeing them improve and regain their health is what matters most to me.

📆 From your experience, what challenges do patients face?

Patients with hematologic and oncologic conditions often require long-term care and close monitoring. Managing these conditions while maintaining daily life can be challenging for both patients and their families.

🫶🏽 Is there a patient moment that stayed with you?

The most meaningful moments are seeing patients smile again and return to a normal life, just like others.

👥 What does your work involve?

I care for and treat patients with a range of hematologic and oncologic diseases, including leukemia, thalassemia, and solid tumors, across both outpatient and inpatient settings.

🏋🏽 What do you enjoy outside of work?

When I am not working, I enjoy traveling, visiting new places, playing football, and singing.

🗣️ What languages do you speak?

Thai, English, and French

🍜 What is your favorite food?

Lao food

🙏🏾 We’re grateful to healthcare professionals like Dr. Sonephet who continue to care for children with cancer and support families through every stage of their journey.

https://themaxfoundation.org/patient-services/

For physicians like Dr. Mipsang Lama in Nepal, there was a time when the rare and devastating blood disorder of Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) could be identified but not truly treated.

Care meant repeated transfusions, temporary stabilization, and watching patients live with constant uncertainty.

Then, thanks to our partnership with Novartis and IPIG, access to treatment and training changed that!

Within weeks, patients began regaining strength. Conversations shifted from survival to possibility.

For Dr. Lama, it was more than a clinical change. It was the ability to finally offer hope alongside care.

🗨️He shared, "To those working in global health and rare disease access, your work has a deeply human impact. PNH may be rare, but the suffering it causes is real and significant. Today, for the first time, we can say with confidence that 'it is treatable.'”

You can read more about the impact access is having in Nepal here: https://themaxfoundation.org/stories/empowering-hope-a-physicians-journey-transforming-pnh-care/