It's a heartbreaking situation for a family where 8 out of 9 members are sick or ill.

When we visited Mr. Nguyen Duc Kinh's family, his wife, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Ve, was home alone, holding their four-month-old grandchild. Seeing us, Mrs. Ve just sat there, smiling and greeting us, unable to stand up due to her weak health.

With tears in her eyes, she shared: "During my time serving in the army in Laos, due to the effects of the war, I developed a bone and joint disease, causing my limbs to gradually atrophy; walking became very difficult.""The family has four generations and nine members, but only the youngest grandchild, only four months old, is free from illness; the other members are constantly sick."

In Mr. Kinh's entire family, only his grandson (4 months old) remains healthy. Photo: Ha Linh

Mr. Kinh's mother, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thai (born in 1922), has suffered from chronic osteoarthritis and has been frail for many years. Mr. Kinh, in his youth, served in the army in the Cambodian battlefield (Tay Ninh province), where he was wounded, losing 61% of his health and becoming paralyzed in his right leg. The war wounds have caused him chronic insomnia, and his health has steadily deteriorated. The couple has four children, three daughters who are already married.

Currently, Mr. and Mrs. Kinh are living with their eldest son, Nguyen Duc Tuan. Due to the effects of Agent Orange from his parents, Tuan's personality is not normal. He cannot do heavy work and occasionally sits alone in a corner of the house or wanders away from home.

He got married and had four children, but they were all frail due to illness. His eldest daughter suffered from pneumonia since childhood and frequently had to go to the hospital for treatment. Due to poor health, she had to drop out of school after the 8th grade. His second daughter has intellectual disability. His third daughter has a congenital heart defect. Fortunately, she received free heart surgery in 2014 and survived, but she remains weak and frail.

Eight members of Mr. Kinh's family suffer from illnesses, making life extremely difficult. Photo: Ha Linh.

Last August, Ms. Trinh Thi Gam (Mr. Tuan's wife) also discovered she had a liver tumor while six months pregnant with her youngest child. After giving birth, she continued treatment. Now, the baby is over four months old but weighs only about 3kg, is frail, and is the only member of the family without any health problems.

During a recent check-up, Ms. Gam was referred to K Hospital in Hanoi for liver tumor surgery. However, because her youngest child is still very young and the family is poor, she doesn't know where to find the money for treatment, so she has resigned herself to "living with" the serious illness. Mr. Kinh's family has nine members, but no one is the primary breadwinner. The lives of nine people depend solely on the 5 million dong per month social welfare allowance. That amount is only enough to cover the general living expenses for nine mouths, not enough to pay for the children's education or medical treatment for family members.

The children in the family, who are Mr. Kinh's grandchildren, are constantly ill and lack resources, putting them at risk of dropping out of school. Photo: Ha Linh

Sharing about the difficult circumstances of Mr. Kinh's family, Mr. Nguyen Duc Kien, Chairman of the People's Committee of Dien Loi commune, said: Mr. Kinh's family is an extremely disadvantaged household in the commune. The family has 9 members who are frequently ill, and none of them are able to work. They are in great need of the sharing and assistance of kind-hearted people to help them overcome difficulties and improve their lives.

All donations should be sent to: Mr. Nguyen Duc Kinh (Hamlet 9, Dien Loi Commune, Dien Chau District).

Phone: 01689.098.843

Alternatively: Publishing and Social Activities Department - Nghe An Newspaper, No. 3, Le Nin Avenue, Vinh City, Nghe An Province.