The heartbreaking plight of three orphaned siblings.

Nearly a week has passed since the death of Mr. Nguyen Van Binh (born in 1973), but the house of the three orphaned siblings in Phuong Hoang hamlet (hamlet 7A, formerly Hung Long commune), Long Xa commune, Hung Nguyen district, is still shrouded in an atmosphere of grief.

On the altar dedicated to the deceased, the father's portrait, with its loving gaze, seemed to hold many unspoken concerns for his children. Outside, neighbors came to visit and offer encouragement to the three siblings.orphanedsitting togetherkitchenThe fire provided warmth, and white smoke clung to the white headscarves.

Ms. Le Thi Nhuong (53 years old), a resident of the neighborhood, shared: "The circumstances of the three brothers Nguyen Thanh Dat, Nguyen Dat Thanh, and Nguyen Thanh Cong are very sad. Their parents passed away early, leaving behind three children, one of whom is still young, and another has a congenital illness."

Three orphaned brothers stand by their father's altar. Photo: Huy Thu

According to the account of Nguyen Thanh Dat – the eldest brother (20 years old), Mr. Binh, originally from Hung Linh commune, married Ms. Nguyen Thi Nga (born in 1973) and lived in his wife's hometown. After the youngest child was born, when the baby was 8 months old, due to...situationComing from a poor family, Ms. Nga had to leave her young child behind in her hometown to go to Hanoi to work as a domestic helper to earn money.

During a visit home to see her children, she suffered a stroke and passed away, leaving behind a grieving family and neighbors. At that time, Dat was in 7th grade, Cong was less than a year old, and Thanh, who had a congenital disability, was halfway through 5th grade.

After his wife passed away, Mr. Binh was left to raise his children alone. Over the years, in addition to cultivating nearly 3 acres of rice fields, he worked extra jobs such as construction labor and wall painting to support his children. But just when he thought life was already difficult, tragedy struck his family once again.

In early 2020, while returning home late from work, Mr. Binh was blinded by headlights and crashed into a roadside marker on National Highway 46, resulting in a traumatic brain injury. After months of treatment at the provincial hospital, his health deteriorated and he completely lost his ability to drive.labor.

Recently, Mr. Binh had fainted several times at home... On January 4, 2021, noticing his health deteriorating, his siblings took him to the hospital, but he did not survive, leaving behind three orphaned children.

Since their father passed away, their maternal grandmother has been living with the three orphaned siblings. Photo: Huy Thu

Mr. Binh's passing has caused immense grief among the villagers, partly out of sorrow for him, and partly out of pity for his children who were orphaned at a young age.

Mr. Vo Dinh Toi – Secretary of the Youth Union of Phuong Hoang hamlet shared: “Mr. Binh lost his wife several years ago. Raising his children alone was extremely difficult. Then, cruel fate took his life, leaving three young children without a home, one with a congenital disability, and another very young. The pain of losing their mother is still fresh, and now they have to endure the added pain of losing their father. Seeing the plight of a family that is no longer whole, it's truly heartbreaking and sorrowful.”

When Mr. Binh passed away, all the relatives and neighbors in the area came to share their condolences and offer support to the three orphaned brothers. Mrs. Vo Thi Oi (80 years old) – the maternal grandmother of Dat, Thanh, and Cong – also closed her house and came to live with her three grandsons.

Mrs. Oi said with tears welling up in her eyes, "It's so sad, my child. Their father was in an accident, and before the medical bills were paid off, he passed away, leaving behind several young children. The other day, some people came to visit, and out of pity for the family's situation, they bought two beds for the children to sleep on. After their father died, the only bed had been dismantled and burned according to custom, so the siblings had to sleep on mats in the kitchen."

The two brothers, Thanh and Cong, light a fire in their familiar kitchen. Photo: Huy Thu.

Given his family circumstances, after arranging his father's funeral, while still grieving the loss of a loved one, Nguyen Thanh Dat had to go to work at a pho restaurant in Vinh City, leaving in the morning and returning in the evening.

Sharing his grief over the loss of his father, Dat confided: "I don't know why misfortune always befalls my family. With my parents gone, the house feels empty. Missing them so much, I feel an even heavier responsibility; I have to work hard, earn money to pay off debts, and ensure my younger siblings receive a proper education."

Of the three orphaned brothers, the second, Nguyen Dat Thanh (17 years old), was born with a congenital disability, including speech impediments, tremors in his limbs, and memory problems, forcing him to drop out of school early. His younger brother, Nguyen Thanh Cong (8 years old), is in the third grade. Cong is the youngest and has suffered the most hardships; he lost his mother before he was one year old and his father when he was only eight.

Nguyen Thanh Cong (8 years old) is the youngest child. Cong lost his mother when he was less than 1 year old and his father when he was in the 3rd grade. Photo: Huy Thu

Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh, homeroom teacher of class 3A at Hung Long Primary School, said: "Nguyen Thanh Cong is one of the students with the most difficult family circumstances in the school. As soon as we learned of Cong's father's death, representatives from the school's labor union, the student council, the parent association, and the class visited to offer condolences and encouragement. We hope that Cong and his siblings will receive the attention and support of the community and society in this unfortunate situation."

All donations should be sent to: Nguyen Thanh Dat, Phuong Hoang Hamlet, Long Xa Commune, Hung Nguyen District, Nghe An Province. Account number: 5181 0000 3748 50, Investment and Development Commercial Bank (BIDV), Thanh Vinh Branch. Tel: 0328 238 895