A poor mother raising a sick child.

(Baonghean) - Her husband passed away, leaving her with four young children and elderly parents over 80 years old. She single-handedly struggles to provide for the family by collecting scrap metal, and to reduce her children's school expenses, she asks the school for permission to work as a garbage collector every Saturday afternoon. Even more heartbreaking is that her children suffer from serious illnesses.

That impoverished wife and mother is Ms. Le Thi Hung (born in 1983, residing in Hamlet 10, Thai Son Commune, Do Luong District). About two years ago, her husband, Mr. Nguyen Quang Bay (born in 1976), passed away due to illness. During the months of treating her husband, their family's possessions vanished, leaving them burdened with mounting debts.

Having lost her husband, Ms. Hung single-handedly raised four young children, the oldest only 10, the youngest still an infant, and her in-laws, who were over 80 years old. “Even though he was often ill, having him at home gave me peace of mind to go to work and provide for the family… Now, when the children get sick, I just buy medicine for them to take at home instead of taking them to the hospital…,” Ms. Hung said, her voice choked with sobs.

Ms. Le Thi Hung with her four young children. Photo: Nguyen Phan

Born with health problems, her second son, Nguyen Quang Tuan (born in 2006), also suffers from goiter and asthma. For a long time, she hasn't dared to take him to the hospital for check-ups; she only asks for prescriptions to get medicine for him to take gradually. Even more heartbreaking is the fact that her third daughter, Nguyen Thi My Tam (born in 2012), still cannot speak. The child is thin and weak, and frequently ill. "The doctors said we should take her to Hanoi for examination, maybe they have a better treatment method so she can speak, but I don't dare go... She's 5 years old now, but she still can't clearly say 'mom'," Ms. Hung said, her eyes welling up with tears as she hugged her young child.

Little Tam couldn't speak yet, but the sadness in her eyes when she saw her mother crying was palpable. She stared at her mother without blinking, then snuggled into her mother's arms.

On a cold winter afternoon, gusts of wind pierced through the thin bamboo screen covering the front porch of the old house, seeping inside and making the children shiver. Ms. Hung hoped to earn a little more money to buy each child a warm coat so they wouldn't be so cold going to school, but for her, that was a significant challenge.

On the porch, Hung's parents-in-law, Mr. Nguyen Quang Cam and Mrs. Hoang Thi Minh, both over 80 years old, sat silently, their cloudy eyes gazing into the distance. The lines etched by time on their aged faces were like crashing waves washing over this small family. Their hearing was poor, and their eyesight had dimmed with age. "Their father passed away early. Now, all I hope is that the children have enough to eat, can go to school, and receive medical care. That would make me very happy. We can't do much else. I love them so much, but I'm heartbroken that I can't help them," Mrs. Minh shared sadly.

Ms. Hung herself suffers from goiter and pneumonia, and is frequently ill, so her health is not as good as a normal person's; she weighs only about 38 kg. Many days, when the family has no money, she spends all her savings on medicine for her second son, not daring to buy medicine for herself. The burden of providing food for the whole family alone has made her even more frail.

The family's income depends on the scrap metal buying business. Photo: Nguyen Phan

Every day, besides working a small plot of land, Ms. Hung takes advantage of her free time to collect scrap metal and pick up discarded bottles. She takes on any job anyone hires her to earn extra income to support her family. She tries to work as much as possible to provide for her children, hoping that she will not collapse along the way, because she carries the burden of her entire family on her thin shoulders.

Nguyen Phan