Moonlight of the Bald Children

In a small 8 square meter room with only enough space for a bed and a wardrobe, little Le Thi Thuy Linh is lying down drawing. The 5 year old girl has bone cancer, discovered more than two months ago. This is her first Mid-Autumn Festival in her life, and she celebrates it with a large tumor on her right leg and a raging fever.

After two months in the hospital, Linh's face was completely shrunken, her weight dropped from 17 kg to only 11 kg. She could not walk, so a wheelchair was her constant companion. Her grandmother, Ms. Sen, who is over 70, said that her father left when she was young, and her mother suffered from depression since then. She raised Linh and her brother, who is in 5th grade this year, alone, so her finances were gradually exhausted. The family lives in Nghe An, and now she has to rent a room in Hanoi for her child's outpatient treatment.

"I devote all my energy and money to Linh, just hoping she can get well again," she said.

Linh's cancer has metastasized, so her prognosis is very poor. The tumor is getting bigger every day. "For many nights, she couldn't sleep. Now I just want to be thankful for each day," said Ms. Sen.

Also having a child with bone cancer, Nguyen Thi Hanh, 34 years old in Ha Nam, is busy feeding her little daughter dinner so she can go to the party in time. "Even though I'm not in the mood to think about the Mid-Autumn Festival, I see my child is excited so I indulge her," Hanh said.

Six-year-old Truong Khanh Linh was diagnosed with the disease in early June. At first, Linh complained of pain and aching in her legs, and her family thought she was growing up or running too much. The pain became more severe, so her family took her to the doctor. The results at the Hanoi Medical University and Bach Mai Hospital remained unchanged, and the doctor concluded that Linh had a malignant tumor in her bone. Currently, Linh cannot walk in her right leg, and she depends on her mother for all her daily activities.

"The day I heard the news that my daughter had cancer, I was devastated and my family was in turmoil," said Mr. Cuong, Khanh Linh's father. He is a freelancer, while Ms. Hanh is a factory worker with a meager salary.

The little girl was preparing for the new school year when she fell ill. Lying on the hospital bed, Linh whispered in her mother's ear: "I will tell Hang that I wish to attend the opening ceremony, to go to school and for my parents to no longer have to work hard because of me."

The Mid-Autumn Festival organized by K3 Hospital, Tan Trieu, on the night of September 10th had more than 1,000 children and their relatives participating. The children were excited to draw pictures, watch performances, carry lanterns, and enjoy the feast with Uncle Cuoi and Sister Hang. Children who were seriously ill and could not go to the hospital yard to play were given gifts at their beds by doctors and nurses. Mr. Nguyen Duc Ha, president of the volunteer club participating in the program, shared: "Children with cancer suffer a lot of disadvantages and need special care and attention."

Children and their families gathered together. Mr. Quang, 38 years old, father of a sick child, said this was the second year his child celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival at the hospital. "Seeing my child laughing and playing with his friends, my heartache was somewhat relieved," he said.

Many children who had just had their legs amputated and were on IVs, still wearing IVs, were engrossed in watching and laughing heartily at the performances on stage. Truong Khanh Linh was given a wheelchair by the volunteer club, helping her move around easily.

"I thought I wouldn't be able to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival this year because I couldn't walk," Linh said while sitting in a wheelchair. "The Mid-Autumn Festival made me forget that I had cancer and the smell of medicine."