The neighbor who is on dialysis in Vinh city - now...

However, overcoming adversity, the people in that poor boarding house still strive every day, never giving up hope that tomorrow, life will be better...

Happiness sparkles in pain

“People who have been on dialysis like me, especially those who have been on dialysis for more than 15 years, can pass away at any time if they are unlucky enough to have a sudden increase in blood pressure or a heart attack. So, every morning when I wake up and find myself alive, I am extremely happy. The first thing I do is call home to hear my wife and children, then I rush out to the streets to make a living. Only then can I have enough money to cover medical expenses, and also create joy for myself,” said Mr. Nguyen Tien Lap (born in 1969) - who has been on dialysis for more than 15 years.

In the morning he undergoes dialysis and in the afternoon he drives a motorbike taxi, but Mr. Nguyen Tien Lap (born in 1969, Tan Son commune, Quynh Luu district) always maintains an optimistic outlook on life. Photo: Thanh Quynh

In front of the Vinh City General Hospital, the image of Mr. Lap with a thin figure, dark skin next to an old motorbike is very familiar to the people living here. Quickly wiping away the sweat from having to stand for many hours in the sun waiting for customers, Mr. Lap confided about his situation.

He was born in Quynh Luu, and had a happy life with his wife and 3 children. Until 2007, when he felt constantly short of breath, tired, and nauseous, he went to the hospital for a check-up and was told that his kidney function had decreased by less than 20%, forcing him to undergo dialysis. At that time, his wife had just given birth to their third child, the first of whom was in 6th grade.

Under his ao dai, Mr. Nguyen Tien Lap's arms are covered with lumps, traces of months of blood filtration and kidney dialysis to prolong his life. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Thinking about having to leave his family to go to the city for treatment and all the burden of making a living falling on his wife's shoulders made him feel heartbroken. However, to overcome adversity, he went to Vinh city by himself and rented a small room near the city's General Hospital, where he was being treated.

Every week, the dialysis schedule takes place from 6:30 am to 11 am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The rest of the time, he goes to Vinh market to work as a porter, doing whatever he can find, as long as he can earn money to cover the cost of treatment. Until 7 years ago, when his health was too weak, he was forced to choose the job of a motorbike taxi to make a living. There were days when he could earn 100,000 VND, but there were also days when the weather was harsh and he couldn't find any customers, so he had to go home empty-handed. In any case, it was better than lying in a hospital bed, because for him, those moments made him think more negatively.

In poor rented rooms, dialysis patients still make efforts every day to treat their illness. Photo: Dinh Tuyen

“I have witnessed people passing away right before my eyes. There were even people lying next to the hospital bed, talking to each other, when tired they closed their eyes and quietly passed away in a long sleep. That is why I want to work, live a meaningful life and keep a positive spirit to spread joy to those who are also suffering from serious illnesses like me. For the past 15 years, I have never lost hope that one day luck will smile on me, I will recover and be reunited with my family,” said Mr. Nguyen Tien Lap. Perhaps that is the reason why he has become the oldest person on dialysis in this boarding house.

Also filtering out the joys in life to fight the disease, Ms. Dang Thi Thuy's eyes (born in 1988) suddenly brightened when mentioning her two sons.

While fighting her illness, Ms. Dang Thi Thuy (born in 1988, from Do Luong district) also encouraged her children to study well. Photo: Thanh Quynh

She said she lost her husband in 2015 when he had a work accident in Laos. Two years later, she was shocked to hear that she had kidney disease. Going to Vinh City for treatment, she was forced to apply to send her two sons (born in 2006 and 2008) to SOS Children's Village. The three of them left their hometown of Do Luong to Vinh City for more than 6 years, the hardships were indescribable, but hope always sparkled when her two children over the years have achieved good academic results. They are even excellent students in Math. Whenever she feels sad, she turns on her phone to look at the certificates of merit her children send her to give her more motivation to live.

“For me, it is difficult to continue living, but it is easy to give up. Sometimes, I just need to stop taking medicine for a day... However, I tell myself to try to continue living because I still have my children, so that they know that their mother is still there and that they are not alone in this life. I want to see my children grow up, get married and live a happier life than me,” Thuy confided.

The boarding house on Le Ninh Street used to be an old business building, now rented out to patients for living during dialysis. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Hospital is home, boarding house is family

Patients in the dialysis ward always save a special phone number in their contacts, which is the number of Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam (born in 1981) - the person hired to manage this boarding house.

Because the people who rent a room here for dialysis have to live far from their families, in critical situations, they consider her a reliable support to help them overcome difficult times. For example, in 2022, Mr. Le Van Lam (68 years old), a patient who was renting a room here, suddenly had high blood pressure. It was 4 am, while his family was in Quynh Luu district, so the first person he thought of was Ms. Tam. After calling her, he fell unconscious. Ms. Tam immediately took Mr. Lam to the hospital, acting as a relative to complete the paperwork and costs for emergency treatment. Later, because his illness tended to get worse, he had to be transferred to another hospital, and she was the one who completed the transfer procedures for him.

Despite her poor circumstances, Nguyen Thi Thanh Tam (born in 1981, right cover) is a pillar of support for many dialysis patients in the boarding house. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Or like earlier this year, while checking the rooms in the morning, Ms. Tam discovered that the door to Ms. Nguyen Thi Ky's room (70 years old, from Dien Chau) was not open. Meanwhile, according to the schedule, she had to wake up early that day to have dialysis. Knowing that something was wrong, she tried to call everyone to open the door and discovered Ms. Ky lying collapsed in the corner of the room. Thanks to Ms. Tam taking her to the emergency room in time, Ms. Ky was out of danger.

Learning about the woman, we learned that she was from Quy Hop district, and her original plan was to go to Vinh city to work for a few years. But then, out of compassion and closeness to the lives of the people in the dialysis area, she stayed there until today. She manages the boarding house and sells water at the beginning of the street. Although her circumstances are not very good, whenever the patients in the boarding house need help, she is always ready to support.

Love has helped dialysis patients have a solid foundation to overcome adversity. Photo: Dinh Tuyen

She shared: “Currently, there are 15 dialysis patients renting a house in the boarding house. Every year, 3 or 4 people leave and 3 or 4 new people arrive. Perhaps because of empathy, they consider each other as family members, helping and sharing all the joys and sorrows in life. For patients with end-stage renal failure, the hospital is home and this poor boarding house is also a family. They love, protect, rely on each other, and help each other live optimistically, believing that one day their illness will improve and they will be discharged from the hospital. Even in pain, they still maintain their optimism and love for each other to smile and continue living.”