Heartbreaking story of a Khmu couple raising three children with cerebral palsy.

In Muong Tip commune (Ky Son district), following the Na My village management board, we arrived at the small stilt house, the temporary residence of the Cut Pho Ban family (born in 1974). The first image that appeared, bringing tears to everyone's eyes, was of three children (two girls and one boy) in tattered clothes, lying scattered on the dusty floor. Seeing strangers arrive, they stared blankly at each other before giggling.

Mr. Cụt Phò Ban and his three disabled children. Photo: Lữ Phú

Mr. Ban said: "During the recent flood, our house was destroyed by landslides and swept away, leaving us homeless. This is the house of my younger brother's family, who are currently working on the farm, so my family is asking to stay here temporarily. Once we finish building a makeshift shelter, we will move our three disabled children here."

Cụt Phò Ban and his wife are poor Khơ mú people from Na Mì village, Mường Típ commune (Kỳ Sơn district), classified as a poor household, with their income consisting only of slash-and-burn farming. Their eldest daughter, Cụt Y Ban (born in 1995), was very chubby and healthy at birth, showing no unusual symptoms, bringing immense joy and happiness to the couple.

Mr. Cụt Phò Ban takes care of his disabled daughter. Photo: Lữ Phú

But happiness was short-lived. Y Ban grew up unable to walk or speak. By the age of five, her limbs gradually withered, losing their ability to move and stretch, and her brain failed to develop, leaving her unable to perceive her surroundings. Though heartbroken, Mr. and Mrs. Ban watched their daughter grow up in tears due to their difficult financial situation and the arduous journey.

Three years later, their second daughter, Cụt Y Băng (born in 1998), was born. When she was over two years old, she also began to show symptoms similar to her older sister. Cụt Phò Ban and his wife were even more heartbroken to witness their two children suffering from physical and intellectual disabilities. Despite their immense grief, they never gave up their dream of having a healthy child like other couples in the village.

Cụt Phò Ban's house was destroyed and swept away by the flood, forcing his family to temporarily stay at his younger brother's house. Photo: Lữ Phú

This prompted Mr. and Mrs. Ban to have a third child, Cụt Bá Hùng (born in 2005). But once again, tragedy struck this family, and the hearts of the parents ached when Hùng grew up to be like his two sisters, suffering from both physical and intellectual disabilities. This time, Mr. Ban took Hùng to district and provincial hospitals for examination and treatment, but the situation did not improve.

Mr. Ban choked up as he said, “Seeing our children not being normal like other children, my wife and I are heartbroken, but due to our difficult economic circumstances, we couldn't get them proper treatment. Thanks to the disability support policy, our children receive an allowance of nearly 500,000 VND each, which helps to alleviate some of the costs. But recently, our house was swept away, and our already difficult lives have become even more miserable.”

Lu Phu