Nearly 80 years old mother raising 4 mentally ill children

(Baonghean) - In 1953, Ms. Hoang Thi Ngo (born 1936) married Mr. Le Van Hanh. In 1954, Mr. Hanh joined the army and fought in the Binh - Tri - Thien battlefield. 10 years later, he was demobilized and returned to his hometown. Following the government's encouragement, he and his wife migrated from Nam Dan to Hamlet 2, Binh Son Commune, Anh Son to build a new economic zone. One after another, 7 children were born, but although they grew up, they were not smart. Out of 7 children, 4 were absent-minded, did not know what to do, often broke things and screamed. The remaining 3 were better, could work on their own and were married.

In 1996, Mr. Hanh passed away, leaving Mrs. Ngo with the burden of 4 children infected with the toxic chemical dioxin: Le Thi Thuy (born 1964), Le Van Thu (born 1966), Le Van Phong (born 1968), Le Van Sy (born 1970) and a dilapidated house. Thanks to the care and help of the local government and neighbors, in 1998, the tiled house was completed, providing shelter from the rain and sun for the mother and 5 children. In good weather, the children can help her with some chores such as cooking rice, herding cows in the fields... However, when the weather changes, disaster can strike at any time. Once, while groping in the fields, Mrs. Ngo was called home by a neighbor. When she arrived home, the kitchen was on fire. Luckily, a neighbor came over to help put out the fire. It turned out that while cooking rice, her child "got angry" and lit a fire on the thatched roof, leading to a fire. While herding cows, her younger son used a stick to chase the cows away, and she had to ask someone to go look for him. Many days, after a tiring day of work, she had to lie on her back with a flashlight looking for her lost son…

Her children are sick, sometimes unconscious, sometimes awake, she is old and in poor health, but she still has to go to the fields and the beach to find more vegetables and shrimp for her children to have a full meal. Many days she has headaches and weak knees due to old age, so she has to leave it to fate, saving up for 3 allowances for Agent Orange victims and 1 allowance for the disabled. What she worries most is, when she passes away, who will take care of her children? The house that the local government and neighbors have helped for nearly 20 years is deteriorating, the walls are cracked, the tiled roof is old and worn out, and it is not known when it will collapse.

Mr. Le Van Ngoc, the Party Secretary of the commune, expressed his concern: Her four children are healthy, but not intelligent, and cannot help their elderly mother. The commune knows about Mrs. Ngo's family's situation, so it has created the best conditions, but the commune is in a remote and poor area, so it cannot provide her with a charity house. I hope that kind-hearted people will help her to have a house that is secure and durable, so that when she returns to her ancestors, she can rest in peace..."

Ha Linh