They call her Boun Lod.
Her given name is Vilayvanh Phanhvanh, which could explain why everybody calls her Boun Lod (pronounced âboon-loudâ), or simply Boun.
That could be the reason, but itâs not the only reason, nor even the best one.
The best reason is this:
Seventeen years ago, when she was scarcely 2 weeks old in her native Laos, Boun survived a horrific fire as she lay sleeping in her crib. Scalding flames melted the tender skin all over her body, and she inhaled so much of the thick, black smoke that when she cried, no sound came out.