Tears fall with the wish 'to see parents' of a Thai boy

(Baonghean.vn) - A brain tumor has destroyed the eyes of Thai boy Sam Van Thien, leaving him permanently blind. At only 13 years old, Thien has had to live with blindness. Every 3 weeks, he and his parents travel more than 300 kilometers to Hanoi for treatment.

We went to Sam Van Thien's house in Hoa Tien village, Chau Tien commune (Quy Chau) on an early winter day. Only he and his mother were left in the house. Thien's father had gone to the forest to pick bamboo shoots since midnight.

Sam Van Thien tries to feel each page in the hope that one day he will still be able to go to school. Photo: Nga Nga

Sam Van Thien was born into a family that was not too poor compared to other households in the village, although his parents were both self-employed. Thanks to hard work, Nhi and Quynh were able to build one of the most spacious houses in the village. The family has 4 members, Thien is the eldest child, and then has a younger brother who is 10 years old this year. In that house, joy and happiness were always overflowing, seemingly unshakable. However, storms came. The day Thien was found to be sick, the whole family went through a heavy shock. From that day on, all the assets that his parents had saved up for many years had to be sold to pay for his medical treatment.

Doctors determined that Thien had a malignant cerebellar tumor. It was a terrible blow that fate had dealt to this handsome, fair-skinned boy who was especially studious. And the worst thing was that the illness gradually reduced his vision. During the first days of treatment at the hospital, his eyes could still see dimly. The gentle, lovable boy cried and begged his parents to let him go home to continue studying. He was afraid that he would not be able to see his teachers and friends, would not be able to read useful books and write neat lines.

All my activities now need my mother's help. Photo: Nga Nga

Holding her son in her arms, Lang Thi Nhi felt like her heart was being torn apart. Lang Thi Nhi sobbed as she recounted that the unexpected day had finally come. One spring morning in February 2017, while preparing to go to the field, she heard Thien crying and calling for his mother. He said he couldn't see anything, so she immediately called her husband and immediately took her son to the district hospital for a check-up. Thien was then transferred to the provincial hospital, then to the central hospital.

The cerebellar tumor progressed unexpectedly quickly. His illness became more and more serious, the hospital advised the family to have an emergency surgery because Thien now had 3 very large tumors in his head. Many hours in the operating room, then the days after the excruciating pain, then every 28 days he had to take 5 doses of medicine to prevent the invasion of cancer cells. Every time he took the medicine, Thien would vomit and could not eat or drink anything. In addition, the pain continuously tormented him, but Thien still gritted his teeth and endured, not once did he cry, because Thien knew his parents would be even more heartbroken.

Thien is 13 years old this year. If he hadn't had to drop out of school, he would be in 8th grade at Tien Thang Secondary School (Quy Chau). But because his health doesn't allow it, both eyes are blind so he can't go to school like his friends. Every day, he still asks his mother to put his books on the table. He picks up each book, turns each page unconsciously. He hugs each book to his chest, sometimes brings it to his nose to smell each page. He says that he really wants to go to school, he longs to hear his teachers lecture. Saying this, tears well up in his eyes, he just wishes his eyes would be clear again so he can see his parents every day.

Thien sat on the chair where he used to study when he was still able to see and talked to us. He shared sadly: “When I was little, I wanted to grow up to be a doctor, I wanted to cure my parents and the poor. Now, all I want is to see the light, go to school, and see my parents every day, that is my greatest happiness.”

Thien is carefully writing each letter even though his eyes can no longer see. Photo: Nga Nga

Teacher Dang Thi Hoai Thanh - Principal of Tien Thang Secondary School said: "Thien is a good student, polite to adults and sociable with friends. Thien studies well and learns quickly, but because of illness, he does not have much time to go to class. Since he contracted the deadly disease, teachers and students at the school have donated money to help him and his family. Seeing the pain he has to endure, Thien still begged his parents to let him go to school to listen to lectures, everyone was moved. Thien is a shining example of perseverance that other students should follow."

Ms. Nhi confided that when Thien's health is stable, she will take him to school to continue studying. Even though he cannot see anything, he still has ears to hear and feel. She still believes that a miracle will come to her child, and that is Sam Van Thien's wish.

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