Welcome to Lee Family Dentistry, New York and New Jersey's dental destination. Our dental staff at our Lee Family Dentistry offices are dedicated in providing you comprehensive dental care and assistance for patients in New York and New Jersey. Lee Family Dentistry accepts almost all dental insurance including Delta, Cigna, MetLife, IBEW and many others.

Come visit all of us at Lee Family Dentistry and leave with the healthy smile you have been missing with help from Dr. LyVan! Dr. LyVan graduated Temple University School of Dentistry May 1990 with degree of DMD. Because of the work done by Dr. LyVan following the Twin Towers tragedy, he was privileged to be among those introduced by officials to visiting dignitaries during the months following some of which you may see in the animation above..

To learn more about Dr. LyVan, click here.

GALLERY OF SUCCESS

This article is directed to the Vietnamese youth of today. Never, never give up your dreams, because you have been provided with the skills to realize them. Let the part of your nature that loves learning lead to you to study hard and become the best person that you can be. Your family will be proud of you, and the world will behold what "The Children of Lac Hong" can do.

At present there are many successful Vietnamese Americans: judges, Army officers, NASA scientists, medical doctors, biologists, research scientists, congressmen--- the list could go on and on. This is true not only of the United States, but also of every country where Vietnamese have settled. Older members of the Vietnamese community proudly revere their children and grandchildren who have made their mark on this country. Americans as a whole respect and admire the progress you have made. There is nothing you can't do if you always do your best.

For over a year now, friends have asked me to relate the experiences that led me to be honored by the Gallery of Success, where my picture hangs in Mitten Hall at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This honor made me both humble and proud. If this could happen to me, it is within the realm of possibility that it can happen to you.

In the early 1980's I was able to escape by night from Vietnam on a home made boat. Arriving in Pennsylvania, I took all manner of jobs: busboy, animal care maintenance, lawn care, farm work-
--if the job was offered, I took it. However, the one thing I never neglected was pursuing education. While in school I met my surrogate mother, Dr. Catherine Gibson Havemeier. Her field is English. In the worst circumstances she was always there to help me. We studied together, and with love and determination I was able to work and save money toward my future education.

When I entered college I, of course, like many students, availed myself of student loans. There are also student grants available. Most of my classmates worked weekends and sometimes evenings to help with their expenses. College staff can give you information and assist with planning your financial affairs. Even though I was basically on my own during my college years, I never gave up, and graduated with a DMD degree from Temple University's School of Dentistry. So I know it can be done.

I opened a dental office in New York City in sight of the World Trade Center's twin towers. On September 11, 2001, I heard the first plane hit. Startled, I thought perhaps it had been a small commuter plane. Suddenly dust and debris came rolling up the street, and as I looked out, the second tower was hit. Covering my face, I rushed into the street and saw crowds of people running and screaming. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. My mind flashed back to the war in Vietnam. I quickly realized that some of my patients worked in those towers, and my body began to shake. Then I saw First Responders flooding over the scene. Fire trucks and ambulances were everywhere, and people were being guided to safety; the injured being cared for. Stunned, I went back to my office and looked at the debris that was everywhere. I felt helpless and afraid. It's hard to
remember what I did next.

The following day I learned that I had lost friends. As I cleaned up I determined to do something to help the First Responders and the survivors. I would offer them all free dental service as a way of saying thank you for what they had endured, and what America had done for me. The New York Post and the Daily News alerted everyone to my offer, which was gladly taken up by many. To my complete surprise, I received a letter from then President George W. Bush.

My dental services have always been free to members of the clergy and religious orders, no matter what their religious preference. God has been good to me, and I respect those who serve him. During the course of my career I have been fortunate to meet Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI, as well as the Dailal Lama, Senator Schumer and Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.

My greatest honor, however, came on September 26, 2008, when Temple University honored me and placed my picture in the Gallery of Success. Every year the University awards individuals who fulfill certain standards of scholarship, philanthropy, and morality, and who demonstrates success in a chosen field.

I am the first person of Vietnamese origin to receive this honor, and Temple University sent a letter to the US Consulate in Vietnam, at my request, asking that visas be given to the following so
that they could come to the United States to share this honor with me: Reverend Phap Tong, Chief Monk of the Huyen Khong Temple, Hue, Vietnam; Professor Ton That Hanh, Vice President of Hue University, where I had studied, and my family members. With over a thousand onlookers in Mitten Hall, they came to share my happiness.

My second surrogate mother, Bonnie Ghram, legal counsel at Temple, joined with Professor Jack Esposito and the President of Temple University, Ann Weaver, to be present as I received this award.

I know that you young people who have excelled and have received honors, you who are valedictorians and honor society members, can understand the feeling of pride I experienced on that stage.

Certainly you and your families make sacrifices: that is understood, but the rewards are immeasurable. You will serve society and be a better person for it. There is no feeling to compare. The Gallery of Success's mission is two-fold: to provide current students an opportunity to recognize and be inspired by the success of Temple graduates who have gone before them and achieved success in their fields, and to honor alumni who have distinguished themselves in their careers, serving as an inspiration to others in the attainment of their Temple University degrees-and the names of all former Gallery recipients are permanently displayed in the Temple University, Mitten Hall- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-U.S.A.

Above all, I thank my own dear mother in Vietnam, Bui Thi Zung, who underwent many privations during and after the hostilities, but was cheered by the knowledge that I was safe and working hard
and was trying to be a good person. I also thank God for his great favor and blessings. Good luck with you dreams, young students. Remember your goals can be reached. Be patient, industrious and charitable. I know that any help I gave others came back to me one hundred fold. Love and respect your parents, listen to your teachers, and enjoy your youth and its many opportunities.