A blind mother raising a child with cerebral palsy.

(Baonghean.vn) - Her husband passed away before their son was born, and she gave birth to a child with cerebral palsy who, at eight years old, still cannot walk or talk. This unfortunate mother is also blind in both eyes.

That is the tragic situation of Ms. Cao Thi Thanh (born in 1976) in Hamlet 8, Dien Loc Commune, Dien Chau District.

Thành's family has seven siblings, and she is the youngest daughter. When Thành was born, she was normal like all her siblings. But in 1988, a flu epidemic broke out in the village, and Thành fell ill, suffering from a persistent fever. The family was very poor and had many children, so Thành's mother took her to the health clinic for examination and medicine, but the fever wouldn't subside. More than a month later, after recovering from the illness, Thành's eyesight gradually deteriorated, eventually leading to complete blindness.

Having lost her sight at the age of 12, Cao Thi Thanh cares for her children out of habit and routine. Photo: Ha Linh

The siblings got married one after another and moved out. Only Thanh and her older brother, Cao Duc Truyen, remained at home. The small house was divided in half; one half was for Thanh and her mother, and the other half for her brother's family. In 2008, Thanh announced to her family that she would be getting married. Her family rejoiced that their daughter, who had recently gone blind and was over 32 years old, had finally found someone to rely on. After a simple wedding, Thanh moved to Dien Tho commune to live with her husband. Her husband was also disabled and not as agile or active as others. At the end of 2008, as Thanh was preparing to go to the health center to give birth, she received news that her husband had drowned while tending buffaloes.

Three days after her husband's funeral, Ms. Thanh gave birth to a son, Dang Quang Trung. The baby was born handsome and intelligent, but his movements and gaze were unlike those of other children. One of his feet was turned inside out, and as he grew older, Quang Trung became increasingly abnormal, exhibiting unconscious reflexes and reactions. At one, two, and then three years old… Trung grew, but lacked intelligence.

Being blind herself, her husband had passed away, and she had no one to rely on, so Thanh asked her mother-in-law to let her return to her maternal family to seek help from her siblings, even though her own family was struggling financially. When the commune government provided her with 7.2 million VND in assistance and a loan of 8 million VND from the Policy Bank to replace her temporary house, her siblings all pitched in, some carrying bags of cement, others a few kilograms of rice, and still others some bricks, to build a small house in the garden for Thanh and her children to live in.

Despite receiving prosthetic legs from the Orthopedic Trauma Center, Trung is still unable to stand or walk. Photo: Ha Linh

Because her son was ill, Ms. Thanh took him to several hospitals for treatment, the longest treatment being at the Orthopedic Trauma Center, hoping that her son's dislocated foot could be stabilized so he could walk again. However, despite numerous costly trips, the foot could not be repaired, and there was no improvement in her son's cerebral palsy. Ms. Thanh is blind, so she can only care for her son instinctively, such as chewing his food, changing his diaper, and cleaning him, but she mostly relies on the help of her 86-year-old mother. Despite her advanced age, frail health, and difficulty walking, her mother remains the main pillar of support for her unfortunate daughter and poor grandson.

Many times, when there was no food or she ran out of rice, she would run to her son, who lived nearby, to ask for help.

The main source of income for Ms. Thanh and her two children is social welfare benefits. Ms. De receives 270,000 VND per month, Ms. Thanh receives 405,000 VND per month as a disability allowance, and her severely disabled child, Trung, receives 675,000 VND, along with other benefits. In total, nearly 1.9 million VND covers the three family's living expenses, including medicine, medical care, and living costs. Even the small annual contribution to the blind association's fund is not enough for Ms. Thanh to make, so other members contribute to help pay it.

Despite being 86 years old, the elderly mother remains the main support for her unfortunate daughter and poor granddaughter. Photo: Ha Linh

Ms. Thanh was given a breeding cow by the commune to help support her economic situation, but she couldn't take the cow to the fields, so her main food source was straw and hay brought by neighbors, which made the cow thin and weak.

When taking her son for treatment, Ms. Thanh was advised to take him to a central hospital for better medication and appropriate support equipment, but she lacked the money for travel expenses. Furthermore, being blind, she felt helpless watching her son suffer without being able to do anything more. Every day, seeing her son ill while she herself was blind, Ms. Thanh worried about how she and her son would survive if her elderly mother passed away. Ms. Thanh only wished she had some money to travel to Hanoi for examination and treatment so that her son could walk again. To make Ms. Thanh's wish come true, we hope that kind-hearted readers near and far will contribute a little each so that she can take her son to Hanoi for treatment.

All donations should be sent to Ms. Cao Thi Thanh at Hamlet 8, Dien Loc Commune (Dien Chau District).

Or the Publishing and Social Activities Department, Nghe An Newspaper, 3 Le Nin Avenue, Hung Phuc Ward, Vinh City, Nghe An Province.

Ha Linh