The unhappy life of a family with two children with thalassemia

(Baonghean.vn) - Misfortune seems to never stop following the poor family when both children born arehave Thalassemia (also known as congenital hemolytic disease).

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Because her family had many siblings and was poor, Ms. Ho Thi Hiep (born in 1983), from Binh Son commune (Anh Son), had to follow her fellow villagers to work as a leather worker in Bien Hoa industrial park - Dong Nai. There, she met and married Mr. Nguyen Cao Anh (born in 1977) from hamlet 7, Thai Son commune (Do Luong). In 2006, they had a son, Nguyen Cao Nhat.

Ms. Hiep and her husband and two children all have thalassemia. Photo: Ha Linh

Nhat has been sick since birth, often going in and out of the hospital for treatment, the couple had to quit their jobs to take turns taking care of their child. The worker's salary was not enough to cover the expenses, the couple had to borrow money everywhere to treat their child, making things even more difficult. The couple sent Nhat back to the countryside for his grandparents to take care of so they could go to work to earn money to raise their child and pay off their debts.

Nhat became increasingly pale and thin. When he was old enough to go to school, he went one day and took the other day off. After being taken to the Hanoi Children's Hospital for examination and testing, the couple was shocked by the conclusion: Thalassemia (also known as congenital hemolytic anemia). Accordingly, Nhat will have to have regular blood transfusions and filtration, and the monthly medical treatment costs nearly 3 million VND.

In 2010, Nguyen Thi Lan Anh was born. Before the joy could subside, the pain tormented the couple again. Because the baby's health showed similar signs, the couple continued to take their child to Hanoi for examination. Once again, both husband and wife were shocked by the result that Lan Anh's illness was exactly the same as her brother's. They decided to return to their hometown in Thai Son (Do Luong) to depend on their grandparents. Ms. Hiep collapsed and fell ill for months. Mr. Anh both worked for hire to earn money to support the whole family and encouraged his wife to get up to be a support and take care of the children.

The hope to cure the two children's illness is stem cell transplantation. Photo: Ha Linh

The couple became even more desperate when they learned that the treatment regimen to keep their two children alive would not cause complications such as brittle bones, heart, liver, spleen, diabetes, large head, etc. To treat them, each child would need at least 30,000 USD for stem cell transplantation with a success rate of about 80%.

Every month, Nhat and Lan Anh have to go to the Central Hematology and Blood Transfusion Center for blood filtration and medication. Each hospital visit costs at least 7.8 million VND to cover the cost of examination, testing, medicine, and accommodation. If the blood transfusion is done in time, the two children will only be in the hospital for about three to five days, but if their condition is more serious, it will take from one week to 10 days.

Having no stable job, having to stay at home with his parents, his parents also gave him 2 sao of rice fields to cultivate and have food. In addition to the time taking their child to the hospital, the couple rented a booth in Nhan Son commune (Do Luong) to do small business and have time to take care of their child. Anh did welding or worked as a construction worker's assistant, carried cement, and did any job that was asked of him regardless of the time. Every time he took his child to Hanoi, both husband and wife had to go together, which was both costly and because neither of them had a job, they were always in need.

The couple worked hard all day but still could not afford enough money for medicine for their children. The grandparents and both sides of the family also struggled to eat, save money, and borrow money to help. The children were completely dependent on the hospital's treatment regimen, from food to medicine, which had to be strictly followed, so the couple did not dare to be negligent.

Many nights the children had fevers, aches and pains, and their parents had to stay up all night to massage them. Every time the two children fell asleep from exhaustion, the couple looked at each other in pain and despair.

The grandparents of the two children, over 70 years old, sadly shared: “We love our children and grandchildren so much, but we have nothing left to help. We have an old, dilapidated roof to protect our grandchildren from the rain and sun. Everything that can be sold has been sold, we don’t know how long we can last on the journey from Nghe An to Hanoi. The children are so young, yet they have to endure the torment and pain of illness…”

Ms. Hiep and her husband always wish for a miracle, for the community or benefactors to share with her family so that her children have the opportunity to receive stem cell transplants, hoping to cure the illnesses of Cao Nhat and Lan Anh.

Any help please send to: Mr. Nguyen Cao Anh, Ms. Ho Thi Hiep, in hamlet 7, Thai Son commune (Do Luong)

Ha Linh