The pain of not having enough money to treat children's illnesses

(Baonghean) - The fear of their son's death after 3 heart surgeries has made Nguyen Hoang Phuong (born in 1980) and Nguyen Thi Ha (born in 1978) in Hamlet 6, Vinh Son Commune (Anh Son) constantly worried. Because, of the 2 children in the triplets who survived, one had a stenosis of the tricuspid valve and the other had a hemangioma and malnutrition...

Mr. Nguyen Hoang Phuong is a small, dark-skinned man, at first glance he looks tough, but when asked about his children, before he could say a word, tears started falling one after another. Wiping away his tears with his calloused hands, Phuong shared: “Both my husband and I are poor, we have many siblings, so in 2000 we had to drift all the way to Thu Duc (Ho Chi Minh City) to work as workers in a leather shoe factory hoping to have some capital. In 2007, when our first daughter entered first grade, we sent her back to the countryside for her grandparents to raise, and the couple prepared to welcome their second child. On April 23, 2007, Ms. Ha gave birth to 3 sons at once... so surprised and happy, Mr. Phuong named the 3 children: Dai, Phuc, Duc with the thought that his family would be blessed...

Ms. Ha takes her two children to school.

However, both Dai and Phuc had congenital heart disease, and Duc had a hemangioma. They were born without being able to hold their children, because all three were not healthy enough, so they had to be raised in an incubator for 6 months at Tu Du Hospital (Ho Chi Minh City). Working far away, only reporting temporary residence, not having a household registration, all three children did not have insurance, and the expenses were high. While both husband and wife were workers, their monthly salaries were not worth much, to pay for the hospital fees for their children, the couple had to borrow more than 40 million VND from relatives and friends, not knowing when they would be able to pay back. After leaving the incubator, the youngest child, Nguyen Hoang Duc, had to have surgery for a hemangioma, 4 months later, Nguyen Hoang Phuc had to have his first heart surgery, and when he was 16 months old, Phuc had to have his second surgery, etc.

Exhausted by the illness of their three children, in November 2008, the couple returned to their hometown to depend on their family. Out of love for their children, the eldest brother completed the procedures to give Mr. Phuong and his wife 1.6 hectares of forest land and built two small houses to shelter them from the rain and sun. To make a living, Mr. Phuong had to run around looking for work every day. He had no skills, so he did whatever he was hired to do. Ms. Ha had to stay home to take care of her three sick children.

In 2012, his heart disease relapsed, and Phuc was taken to the National Children's Hospital for treatment by his family, but he did not survive. The misfortune of Mr. Phuong's family did not stop there, Dai had a tricuspid valve regurgitation and had to be treated with regular medication and every 6 months had to go to the Provincial Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital for follow-up examinations and to buy medicine. The youngest brother, Nguyen Hoang Duc, after being released from the incubator, had a hemangioma surgery at Children's Hospital 2 (Ho Chi Minh City), but he was malnourished and in poor health, so he often took supplements to help him. Talking about his wishes, Mr. Phuong sadly said: "I just hope that every time I take my child for a routine medical check-up, the doctor will conclude: "Come back in 6 months for a check-up and get medicine", then I will be reassured..."

Mr. Tran Khac Le - Deputy Secretary of Vinh Son Commune Party Committee shared: “Mr. Phuong’s family situation is really difficult, the economy is difficult, the children have serious illnesses. The paternal and maternal siblings are also poor, they cannot help. The government and mass organizations only care to the extent possible… We hope that benefactors will care and support Mr. Phuong’s family, helping the children have the conditions to be treated, to maintain their lives…”.

Phuong - Thu