The anguish of a veteran whose three children suffer from terminal illnesses.
(Baonghean) - Having given birth to four daughters, the eldest died of a serious illness in 2002, and now the third is suffering from a similar condition, unable to walk and having to crawl on her hands. The youngest has epilepsy, blood infection, and high liver enzymes. Mr. and Mrs. Dinh Xuan Cong are enduring immense grief as they divide their time between caring for and treating their children.
Mr. Cong served in the army in 1984, stationed in the southwestern battlefield of Cambodia. In 1987, he was discharged and returned to his hometown to work in agriculture. However, he suffered central nervous system damage, hearing loss, and an inguinal hernia, requiring 21 surgeries, but he is still not cured.
He married Ms. Pham Thi Thuy (born in 1970), and they had four daughters, but misfortune kept befalling them. Their eldest daughter, Dinh Thi My Linh (born in 1994), was born healthy and normal. At the age of 5, she suddenly complained of leg pain and couldn't walk after returning from kindergarten. Mr. Cong took her to various pediatric hospitals in Nghe An and the Central Pediatric Hospital for years, treating her with medication, acupuncture, and physical therapy, but she remained limp and weak in her hospital bed until she passed away in October 2002.
 |
| Mr. Cong and his wife, along with their two children, are suffering from serious illnesses. Photo: Ha Linh |
Then there's their third daughter, Dinh Thi Van Khanh (born in 2011). Initially, she was healthy and normal like other children. However, at the age of two, her health gradually deteriorated, and she became frequently ill. In 2013, Mr. Cong and his wife were heartbroken to discover that their daughter's legs were becoming increasingly weak. Khanh Van's symptoms and treatment journey were similar to those of her mother, My Linh, before her. She frequently had high fevers and convulsions, becoming paralyzed and unable to walk or sit, her arms and legs unable to move. Even chewing and swallowing were difficult; her jaw muscles stiffened, making feeding her porridge or giving her medicine very challenging.
Mr. Cong took his daughter to various hospitals for treatment. Doctors concluded that Van Khanh had suffered brain nerve damage and confirmed it was due to the effects of Agent Orange. He stated that the child's condition would require long-term treatment. According to the schedule, after the Lunar New Year of Mau Tuat, the father and daughter will go to Children's Hospital 2 in Ho Chi Minh City for further treatment.
While the father and older sister were receiving treatment at hospitals in both the South and the North, back home, the mother had to "battle" epilepsy, blood infections, and high liver enzymes with the youngest child, Dinh Thi Mai A. (born in 2014). Occasionally, she would have high fevers and seizures, and because of the high liver enzymes, she couldn't take fever-reducing medication. At least once a month, A. had to go to the Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital for treatment and emergency care...
 |
| Initially, little Van Khanh was healthy and active, but she fell ill when she was just over two years old. Photo: Ha Linh |
Mr. Cong choked up, saying, "My wife and I really don't know what to do anymore. Seeing hospitals and doctors is like seeing a lifeline, a hope to find treatment to save our child's life." His wife, Thuy, suffers from heart disease and has to take medication regularly. Currently, they are trying to cultivate one and a half acres of rice paddies to have rice to eat. Of their four children, only their second daughter is healthy and normal. After finishing school, she had to work to help her parents pay for her two younger siblings' medical treatment.
According to a policy officer in Thanh Hoa commune, although it has been determined that Mr. Cong and his children are affected by Agent Orange, they do not have sufficient documentation to qualify for support programs. To treat their children's illnesses and maintain their daily lives, Mr. Cong and his wife have accumulated debts exceeding 100 million VND from relatives, neighbors, credit funds, and the Policy Bank. Furthermore, the children's illnesses have not improved but are worsening. Their small house, their last remaining asset, is being considered for sale to pay off debts and cover their children's medical expenses…
Tet (Lunar New Year) is approaching, but Mr. Cong and Ms. Thuy are struggling to find a way to borrow 30 million VND to take their child to Ho Chi Minh City for treatment at Children's Hospital 2 after the holiday. They urgently need the help of organizations, individuals, and philanthropists to enable them to afford treatment for their child.
All assistance should be sent to Mr. Dinh Xuan Cong, Hoa Trung Hamlet, Thanh Hoa Commune (Thanh Chuong District), phone number: 01658.064.756
Or the Publishing and Social Activities Department, Nghe An Newspaper, 3 Le Nin Avenue, Hung Phuc Ward, Vinh City.
