The pain of a mother with 5 children infected with Agent Orange

(Baonghean) - With 5 children infected with Agent Orange from their father who fought in the Southern battlefield, the unfortunate life of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Lan's family (Tay Van hamlet, Nghi Van commune, Nghi Loc) seems to never end...

Finding the house of Mrs. Nguyen Thi Lan and her children is not difficult. Just go to the beginning of the village and ask for Mr. Chuyen and Mrs. Lan's house, and even a child will know.

It was not difficult at all, the house was low and shabby with a makeshift altar, the midday sun penetrated into the empty house of the mother and her children, the rustling sound of packaging and plastic bags used to “cover the house” could be clearly heard, the mother and children of the unfortunate women gathered around when a stranger entered. The wild eyes made others look at them with pain in their hearts…

Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan - an unfortunate mother with 5 children infected with Agent Orange.

Mrs. Lan said: “In 1976, Mr. Chuyen (born in 1947) went to the South to join the revolution, and returned to his hometown in 1967. That same year, he and I got married with many hopes for a bright future. Four daughters and two sons were born, but unfortunately one son died right after birth.

Suppressing our grief, my husband and I focused on providing food and clothing for our five children. However, the misfortune did not stop there. Only then did we realize that during his years of fighting in the southern battlefield, he had been exposed to Agent Orange, and as a result, all five children were affected.

The son was not aware of himself, never wore clothes, and wandered around all day. When he was 17, he fell down and died while walking along the riverbank..." Saying this, Mrs. Lan wiped away the tears streaming down her cheeks.

Mother and daughter Thieu (Mrs. Lan's eldest daughter) and the makeshift house.

Painfully and helplessly watching his two sons pass away one after another, and his four daughters also not being normal, Mr. Chuyen fell ill. The man who was the pillar of the family, once resilient against the arrows and bullets of the enemy, could no longer recover from the cruelty of Agent Orange. 3 years after the death of his son, Mr. Chuyen also passed away.

Ironically, Mr. Chuyen, his son and another daughter used to receive Agent Orange victim benefits, but when he and his son passed away, that benefit was also cut off. The small amount of support that helped the family is now gone, and all the burden falls on the shoulders of a woman who is over 60 years old.

The eldest daughter, Thai Thi Thieu, was affected by Agent Orange and no one wanted her, so she “asked” for a child to raise. Thieu’s son is 6 years old this year but is stunted and also affected by Agent Orange, so his eyes look very naive. Loving her son, Mrs. Lan built a house for Thieu and her son in the garden next to her house.

The shabby, makeshift house where Mrs. Lan is living.

The second daughter, Thai Thi Thi (born in 1993), knew that her parents did not have money to organize the wedding, so she brought her own clothes to her husband's house. The third daughter, Thai Thi Vi, went to the South to work and fell in love with a man from Thanh Hoa. It is said that when she found out that Vi was pregnant and learned that her family was infected with Agent Orange, the wedding was canceled. Struggling alone in a foreign land, she returned home with her pregnant belly to take care of her elderly mother. Now, Vi's son is 6 months old. The youngest daughter, Thai Thi Soa (born in 1995), is currently working in the South.

Mr. Thai Doan Van - Head of Tay Van hamlet said: "Mrs. Lan's family situation is very sad. The Women's Union and some people have collected money to build a house for Mrs. Lan and her children, but they have not been able to do it because they do not have enough money. I hope that more people will join hands to help Mrs. Lan realize her dream of having a house to feel secure in life, partly to ease the pain of Agent Orange."

Please send any help to Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan (Tay Van hamlet, Nghi Van commune, Nghi Loc) or the Distribution - Social Activities Department of Nghe An Newspaper (No. 3, Lenin Avenue - Vinh City).

Phan Thoa