The tragic plight of a family whose two children died from acute glomerulonephritis.

(Baonghean.vn) - Two days have passed since the unfortunate death of Lo Van Tuan, a young patient suffering from glomerulonephritis, but his small house in Cham Put village, Hanh Dich commune (Que Phong district), remains crowded with people offering condolences. This second-grade student died at home from a rare disease in the Thai ethnic community here. Previously, on December 26, 2016, Tuan's older brother, Lo Van Hieu, a seventh-grade student, also passed away from this terrible disease.

"Father Nguyen Dinh Thuc incites parishioners."

Bản Cóng is the village with the highest number of glomerulonephritis cases (6) in Hạnh Dịch commune (Quế Phong district). Photo:

According to Mr. Lo Van Cang, the deputy head of Cham Put village, the family of Mr. Lo Van Que (the biological father of Hieu and Tuan) is among the poorest in the village. The 42-year-old man has four children and already has grandchildren. Hieu and Tuan are Mr. Que's two youngest children.

The house felt even more stifling under the early summer sun. Seeing strangers visiting, Mr. Lo Van Que couldn't get up. His eldest son, Lo Van Hoai, who was the most fluent in standard Vietnamese in the family, came to greet them.

Hoai, 22 years old, is married and raising a young child. Hoai's parents are not very active, don't speak Vietnamese fluently, and have spent more than half their lives relying on forest products. Therefore, this young man, who earns a living through freelance work, has become the main breadwinner for the whole family.

The serious illnesses of his two younger brothers over the past few months have devastated Hoai's family financially. They even had to sell their only buffalo to pay for their treatment, but neither of them survived. This was a huge shock for his family.

Hoài recalled: "The two children's conditions deteriorated very quickly. In early December 2016, Lo Van Hieu showed symptoms of fever, swollen limbs, and subcutaneous bleeding. The family rushed him to the district hospital, and a day later he was transferred to the provincial hospital. Shortly after, his condition worsened. At that time, the family couldn't afford to take Hieu to Hanoi for treatment. After returning to the village two days later, Hieu passed away."

Shortly after his older brother's funeral, Lo Van Tuan also developed a fever and a rash. The family gave him fever-reducing medication and herbal steam treatments to combat the rash, and his condition improved somewhat. He was able to attend school for a week. After that, Tuan also exhibited the exact same symptoms as his brother. The last days of his youngest brother's life unfolded like a slow-motion film. Even now, he remembers every detail, down to the last hour.

Medical staff from Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital and Que Phong District General Hospital conducted screening examinations for students in Hanh Dich on the morning of February 22, 2017. Photo: Hung Cuong.

On January 4, 2017, Lo Van Tuan was admitted to the district hospital. Two days later, he was transferred to the National Children's Hospital for dialysis treatment for a whole month. That was also the first time his eldest brother, Lo Van Hoai, had to celebrate Tet (Lunar New Year) unexpectedly in a hospital nearly 500 kilometers from home.

“On the night of the 9th day of the Lunar New Year, the doctors said Tuan's kidneys were beyond repair, and the only option was surgery and dialysis for the rest of his life. At that time, our family was so poor, and the money from selling the buffalo had run out, so I had no choice but to bring him home for treatment until the day he passed away,” the 22-year-old older brother recounted, wiping away tears.

Most of the students with glomerulonephritis in Hanh Dich commune come from disadvantaged backgrounds. However, according to information from the local health department, all 18 children currently undergoing treatment have shown improvement. Only 4 children are still receiving treatment, while the rest have returned to school.

On the afternoon of February 22nd, Comrade Truong Minh Cuong - Standing Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee, Comrade Le Van Giap - Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Que Phong District, along with a delegation, visited and offered condolences to the family of Mr. Lo Van Que, whose two sons died from kidney failure.

The district provided the family with 10 million VND in support, and the District Military Command also contributed 1 million VND. Previously, the district had also offered condolences and sent people to assist the family with the funeral arrangements for the children according to local customs.

Comrade Truong Minh Cuong - Standing Deputy Secretary of the District Party Committee - encouraged and presented financial support to Mr. Que's family.

Huu Vi - Hung Cuong - Thuy Hang