Mother died of drowning, 10 year old boy left alone in charity house

Three days after the tragic drowning incident, the atmosphere of mourning still enveloped the house of Toan and his mother in block 7A, Thanh Chuong town. Mrs. Nguyen Thi Lan (63 years old) - Toan's grandmother, tearfully recounted the death of her daughter.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Lan - Toan's grandmother told the story in tears. Photo: Huy Thu

On the afternoon of January 6, Ms. Trinh Thi Vy (born in 1991) went to herd buffalo early. At around 4 p.m., not seeing her daughter leading the buffalo back to the barn, Ms. Lan's family rushed to look for her in the field. Hearing from the locals that Ms. Vy was feeding the buffalo in the brick kiln area, everyone gathered to search there. The brick kiln area, about 300 meters from her house, has many deep and dangerous ponds.

During the search, Ms. Vy's hat, shirt and sandals (one sandal floating in the middle of the pond) were found on the bank of the pond in the brick kiln area. It was suspected that she had drowned in the pond. Everyone tried to find her. It was around 10 p.m. that night when the body was recovered, and she had already died.

“Maybe while herding buffaloes near the brick kiln area, Vy went down to the pond to wash his feet, and because he couldn’t swim, he drowned. No one knows exactly what time My had the accident. It’s a pity, she raised her child all by herself and now she passed away suddenly, leaving her child as an orphan,” said Mrs. Lan, sobbing.

Toan at his mother's altar. Photo: Huy Thu

Ms. Vy is the third child in a farming family of 6 siblings. Since childhood, she suffered from mental illness and poor health.

Toan was born without knowing her father. She and her mother lived alone in a dilapidated house next to her grandparents' house. Taking advantage of her poor family situation, in 2020, the local government and organizations joined hands to build a two-room house of gratitude for her and her children.

Every day, Ms. Vy often went to herd buffalo for her parents. Toan went to school far away, his grandparents took him there and back. It was thought that the hard life of mother and son would pass peacefully like that, but unexpectedly, she met with an accident and passed away when her son was still young.

At Vy's funeral on the morning of January 7, Toan, wearing a conical hat and leaning on a cane, walked beside the hearse to see his mother off to the cemetery. Anyone who saw him felt heartbroken, both pitying the unfortunate mother who had passed away too soon, and pitying the young orphaned son.

Toan is currently studying in grade 4Y, at the town's Primary School (Thanh Chuong). Toan's current support is his grandparents and siblings on his mother's side. His grandparents' family situation is also very difficult. During Ms. Vy's three-day ceremony, seeing her 10-year-old son with a white mourning band on his head obediently performing the rituals to worship his mother as instructed by his relatives, I felt extremely sorry for him.

After his mother passed away, Toan had to depend on his grandparents. Photo: Huy Thu

Talking about Toan's family situation, Mr. Vo Quoc Hung - block leader of block 7A, Thanh Chuong town shared: "Toan's family situation is very pitiful, a single mother raising a young child, a poor household for many years in the block.

Now Ms. Vy has passed away from drowning, Toan is still young and has to depend on his grandparents. If his grandparents cannot raise him, we think we should send him to SOS Children's Village.

Please send all donations to: Trinh Khanh Toan in block 7A, Thanh Chuong town, Nghe An province or his aunt - Trinh Thi Binh. Vietcombank account number: 0411 000 734392. Phone: 0989 820 141

Publishing Department - Advertising and Social Activities, Nghe An Newspaper No. 3, Le Nin Avenue. Tel. 02388. 600. 006