BRIDGE OF CHARITY: Man on dialysis takes care of wife with stroke

One event after another

More than 8 years ago, during a re-examination, Mr. Vi Van Ngu discovered that he had stage 4 kidney failure. Leaving behind his home, wife, children and farming work, his life is tied to hospitals. Currently, he rents a room near Coi market (Vinh Loc ward) for the convenience of treatment at the Department of Nephrology, Dialysis and Arthritis, Military Hospital 4. After each dialysis session, he tiredly walks back to the shabby room to take care of himself. His two daughters are married far away and are not able to support their father. His wife in the countryside has to work to earn money so that he can have more money for medical expenses.

Having experienced so much hardship and suffering, his misfortune did not stop there. More than 2 years ago, his wife, Ha Thi Thuy, suffered from overwork and suffered a stroke. After a period of treatment, her life was saved, but Ms. Thuy suffered severe sequelae and had to use a wheelchair. For convenience in care and movement, Ms. Thuy was also treated at Military Hospital 4.

For more than 2 years accompanying his wife on her journey to fight the disease, Mr. Vi Van Ngu had to take care of everything: from eating, traveling, hygiene, visiting between departments and rooms, to supporting rehabilitation. He had to hide all the pain and sadness in his heart to try to fulfill his duty as a husband.

Selling house for medical treatment

The couple is unable to work, which means their daily income is gone. Each month, rent, electricity and water costs 700,000 VND. Not to mention medicine, food, and living expenses also cost millions. He and his wife often have to go to the emergency room due to exhaustion and complications from taking medicine. All of this is on Mr. Ngu's shoulders, which are already exhausted. He and his wife also had to sell their only asset, a small house in the countryside, to have money to pay for hospital fees and other living expenses. The poor man's dream is for his wife to be independent and receive social protection from the State.

When asked if he had any other wishes, his eyes filled with tears:"I also wish to have a small house for my husband and I to have a place to return to, but now I am exhausted so I can only dream...".

Need more kindness

"At one time, I was seriously ill and had to take care of my wife who was in the process of rehabilitation. One day, I came home from dialysis, exhausted, walking with one foot in front of the other, but when I got back to the hospital room, I had to clean my wife up right away so that I could take her to the acupuncture clinic on time. We were also patients, and together as men, witnessing that scene, we also shed tears...."That is the story of Mr. Phan Van Trinh, a patient at the Department of Traditional Medicine, where Mr. Vi Van Ngu's wife is being treated.