A family in dire need of help.
(Baonghean.vn) - Her 6-year-old daughter recently underwent heart surgery and is due for a follow-up appointment, but she doesn't have the money to take her. Her younger son is severely malnourished, and her husband has terminal cancer. All she can do is cry in despair.
We visited the couple Tran Dinh Thuong (born in 1981) and Ha Thi Minh (born in 1976) in Hamlet 26/3, Thanh Duc Commune (Thanh Chuong District) at noon. The winter sun did not alleviate the biting cold. Their small, dilapidated house was drafty, with wind howling from the front door to the back. The fireplace, placed right next to the bed, was explained by Ha Thi Minh as providing warmth to help Thuong stay warm because his blanket was too thin, and also allowing her to conveniently prepare herbal medicine, cook, and care for her husband.
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| The small hut of Mr. Thuong and Mrs. Minh. Photo: Dam Phuong |
In the yard lay a dilapidated brick house, built with the combined efforts of relatives on both sides, with the intention of creating a small home for them to live in. Their makeshift shack was too old and run-down to withstand the summer heat and the biting winter winds, but construction had to be halted midway.
Mr. Thuong was not as quick-witted or intelligent as others, and Ms. Minh, though clever, was getting older. They came together to rely on each other. The couple got married without a single plot of land to call their own. Mr. Thuong's older brother built them a temporary hut on his land, and they lived a simple but happy life, welcoming their two children into the world. However, their joy was short-lived when their daughter, Tran Thi Phuong Thao (born in 2011), was diagnosed with congenital heart disease, and their younger brother, Tran Dinh Hanh (born in 2015), suffered from malnutrition. The family's income depended solely on the five acres of tea plantation inherited from Mr. Thuong's older brother. |
| Mr. Thuong suffers from a terminal illness but lacks the funds for treatment. Photo: Dam Phuong |
With no money or assets to mortgage, elderly parents, and impoverished siblings, after much effort, Ms. Minh finally managed to secure a free heart surgery for her daughter. However, before Phuong Thao could undergo the operation, Mr. Thuong fell ill. Doctors informed him he had rectal cancer that had metastasized and required urgent surgery. From May to November 2017, Mr. Thuong underwent three surgeries. During a recent follow-up visit, doctors advised him to be discharged home as the cancer was in its terminal stage.
Already struggling with poverty, and now both husband and son are suffering from serious illnesses, Ms. Minh has had to borrow money from relatives and friends to pay for their medical treatment. To date, she has borrowed nearly 100 million VND.The Party Secretary of Hamlet 26/3, Thanh Duc Commune, shared: "Recently, the hamlet's organizations and associations launched two fundraising campaigns, but the people here are still poor, so the amount received was meager. The other day, Mr. Thuong went to the hospital, and Ms. Minh took care of the two children. The hamlet also mobilized households to harvest tea for the family. If we can't help with money, we can contribute our labor. Harvesting 5 acres of tea would cost 4-5 million dong, which is not a small amount."
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| Phuong Thao has a congenital heart defect, and her younger brother, Dinh Hanh, suffers from malnutrition. Photo: Dam Phuong |
These past few days have been bitterly cold, the open-fronted house with its back exposed to the elements, so even with the stove burning all day, it couldn't ward off the biting chill. Minh sent her two children to sleep with their grandparents, while she and her husband huddled together, bracing themselves against the harsh weather and the cruel twists of fate.
Mr. Nguyen Huu Vinh, Chairman of the Thanh Duc Commune People's Committee, said: "The Thuong and Minh family is the poorest and most disadvantaged household in the commune. Both the husband and son suffer from serious illnesses, making their situation even more difficult. Organizations and villagers have mobilized donations, but it's been like empty air. We only hope that more readers near and far will learn about their plight and join hands to help them afford treatment for their daughter and raise their son."All donations should be sent to Ms. Ha Thi Minh, Hamlet 26/3, Thanh Duc Commune, Thanh Chuong District, phone number: 01636.982.808.
Or the Publishing and Social Activities Department, Nghe An Newspaper No. 3, Le Nin Avenue, Hung Phuc Ward, Vinh City, Nghe An Province.