A poor mother spent scavenging for trash for 7 years while caring for her child in the hospital.

Holding a large syringe to draw up thin rice porridge, then pumping it into a plastic tube inserted through her son's nose, that's how Mrs. Vi Thi Toong (born in 1966) feeds him. When the tube gets clogged, her son whimpers softly, so she pauses pumping, gently strokes his chest, and then continues. Mrs. Toong performs these actions skillfully, as this has been her daily routine for nearly seven years.

Ms. Vi Thi Toong recounted: “He is my second child. After finishing high school, he enlisted in the army. In early 2012, he was granted leave to visit home, but unfortunately, he was involved in a traffic accident. He was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury and has been hospitalized ever since. And since then, I have been here constantly to take care of him. It's been almost 7 years since he's been home.”

Ms. Vi Thi Toong feeds her son, who is suffering from a traumatic brain injury and is being treated at Military Hospital 4, through his nose. Photo: Ho Phuong

Mrs. Toóng's family lives in Kẹo Lực 1 village, Phà Đánh commune (Kỳ Sơn district). Her husband is Lương Văn Phương (born in 1962), and they have four children (three sons and one daughter). Lương Văn Khăm (born in 1990), the victim of the accident currently being treated at Military Hospital 4, is the second child in the family.

Luong Van Kham was once the pride of his family, clan, and village because of his studiousness and numerous academic achievements. After finishing high school, due to difficult circumstances, Kham did not take the university entrance exam but stayed home to help his parents with agricultural work. During the military conscription examination, he registered, passed, and was assigned to serve at the Military Command of Nghe An province.

During his leave at the beginning of 2012, Luong Van Kham unfortunately had a motorcycle accident. The severe collision caused him a traumatic brain injury. Despite receiving treatment at many hospitals and the efforts of his unit and family to save him, the serious injury left him paralyzed from head to toe, almost in a vegetative state.

Ms. Vi Thi Toong massaged her son's chest whenever the feeding tube was blocked. Photo: Cong Kien

After their son's accident, Mr. Luong Van Phuong and Mrs. Vi Thi Toong sold all their possessions to pay for his treatment. There is nothing of value left in their house, and despite his advanced age, Mr. Phuong still has to work hard in the fields planting rice and corn to make ends meet. Occasionally, he has money to go down to Vinh to visit his son, and seeing Kham lying motionless, Mr. Phuong can only hug his son and weep.

As for Mrs. Toong, she hasn't been away from her son for nearly seven years, never once returning home to visit. All that time she's "stayed put" at the hospital to take care of Kham's food, medicine, and other needs. She shared: "We've sold all our possessions; we have nothing left. If we take Kham home, there will be nothing to eat, and no money for medicine. Here, we might have a meal, some porridge, and the hope that one day he will regain consciousness."

The family's basic daily expenses depend solely on Mr. Kham's monthly allowance of over 700,000 VND. Aware of their difficult circumstances, the hospital leadership decided to provide meals for Mrs. Toong. In addition, Mr. Kham's unit regularly provides both emotional and material support, which helps alleviate some of the burden on this unfortunate mother.

Ms. Vi Thi Toong collects scrap materials to sell and earn money for her child's medical treatment. Photo: Ho Phuong

But for someone who has decided to live "for life" in the hospital, there will never be enough money for unexpected expenses and essential needs. To earn extra money, every day Ms. Toong goes around the hospital grounds collecting plastic bottles, soda cans, and cardboard to sell to recycling centers.

Sharing in the plight of the impoverished mother, most of the patients' families being treated in Ward 4 of the Internal Medicine Department and other wards collected scrap materials to help Mrs. Toong. Thanks to this, she earns an extra 20,000 dong each day, a small amount but incredibly valuable to a mother who has spent nearly seven years at the hospital caring for her child with complete paralysis.

Dr. Nguyen Duc Anh, Head of Internal Medicine Department 4, said: “Patient Luong Van Kham suffered a severe traumatic brain injury, and the chances of recovery are very low; we can only hope for a miracle. Therefore, treatment will certainly be long-term. Mrs. Toong will likely have to stay here for a long time to take care of her son.”