The tragic fate of a disabled father and son

(Baonghean.vn) - His wife left him and his parents passed away. For many years, Tran Huy De (born in 1971, residing in Tho Tien hamlet, Quynh Tho commune, Quynh Luu district) and his son, who have congenital neurological defects, have relied on each other to survive.

The house of Mr. De and his son is roofed with slate tiles that have been used for generations in the coastal commune of Quynh Tho. The walls are peeling and the roof tiles are damaged and covered with moss in many places.

The dilapidated house is a shelter for Mr. De and his son. Photo: Xuan Hoa

It was not difficult to meet De and his father because they never went anywhere because neither of them had anything to do. When we arrived, we saw them sitting on the steps of the house, looking around with bewildered faces.

Meeting Mr. De and his son is easy, but talking to him and his father is like climbing a ladder to heaven, because both of them have congenital mental disabilities, so they cannot pronounce clearly and cannot form sentences.

Seeing a stranger coming, De's older brother, Tran Huy Can (born in 1958), ran over. Through Can's story, we learned about the miserable fate of De and his father: Born in a family of 9 siblings, De's father, Tran Huy Van (born in 1918), joined the Dien Bien army during the resistance war against the French. Although he was the youngest child in the family, De was not as lucky as his siblings since birth because when he was pregnant, his mother was sick and took a lot of antibiotics, so he was mentally disabled since birth.

Tran Huy De and his son both suffer from congenital neurological diseases and cannot work. Photo: Thu Hien

Anh De grew up but his mind was still like a child. Then finally he met a girl in Son Hai commune who had the same disability. As fate brought them together, after many meetings and through matchmaking, they lived together and became husband and wife.

Not long after Mr. De and his wife moved in together, in 2004, both families were happy when she gave birth to their first son, Tran Huy Vuong. But the great joy was short-lived when the older Vuong became, the more clearly he showed signs of mental retardation like his father. Now 13 years old, Vuong cannot say a single word clearly, and is always absent-minded and confused.

Life seemed to be bitter and did not spare Mr. De. When he saw his disabled child, his disabled husband who could not do anything, and then he himself was disabled and could not support the family, so when Vuong was still young, his wife abandoned him and his father and left. Since then, the two of them lived with Mr. De's parents, but then his father and mother also passed away, leaving only him and his father alone in a small, dilapidated house on the coast.

His wife abandoned him, and his parents have also passed away. Now, only the disabled father and son cling to each other to survive. Photo: Xuan Hoa

Most of Mr. De's siblings are married and live far away and none of them have the means. Now, only Mr. Can lives nearby so he cooks and brings food to Mr. De and his father every day.

Mr. Nguyen Van Khanh - Vice Chairman of Quynh Tho Commune People's Committee said: "The situation of Tran Huy De and his son is a particularly difficult case in the commune. The local government is also very concerned and helps the father and son, but only to a certain extent. Hopefully, the father and son will receive help from the outside community to reduce their suffering"...

Thu Hien - Xuan Hoa