Teenage girl with rare 'flowering' disease asks to donate her organs to save lives.

(Baonghean.vn) - Suffering from a "strange" disease that causes her skin and flesh to swell into cauliflower-like lumps, a 25-year-old woman from Tan Ky made a decision that earned her much admiration: she requested to donate her organs to save lives..

Cruel fate

Amidst the scorching June sun in the western part of Nghe An province, we climbed the mountain slopes to find the home of young woman Nguyen Thi Thanh (born in 1992), residing in Nam Dan hamlet, Tan An commune, Tan Ky district, Nghe An province.

In a corner of the yard shaded by mango trees, a rickety folding bed was set up temporarily, and a tiny fan could not ward off the scorching heat of the constant hot winds from Laos. Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thu, Thanh's mother, slowly washed a soft cloth and gently wiped her daughter's face.

Thanh's condition worsened day by day; the abscess was spreading down to her foot, making her unable to move. The left side of her body was covered in numerous unhealing scars. (Photo: Nhu Suong)

Thanh is the youngest of four sisters. Her parents are farmers, so life is quite difficult, but the family is always warm and happy. Of the four sisters, Thanh is the only one who suffers from the illness.

Initially, Thanh's symptoms manifested as strange red spots on the tips of her fingers. However, because she appeared healthy and able to move around normally, her parents didn't take her to the doctor, thinking she would recover on her own.

It wasn't until much later, when they noticed Thanh becoming increasingly frail and developing warts on her skin, that the family considered taking her to the doctor. Unfortunately, at this very moment, Thanh's father suddenly passed away, leaving the burden of caring for four children to Mrs. Thu.

After the funeral, taking care of her four children seemed overwhelming for Mrs. Thu. She was responsible for everything, big and small, so the idea of ​​taking Thanh to the doctor was put on hold. Moreover, Thanh's illness wasn't serious at the time; she could still go to school every day, so Mrs. Thu became even more complacent.

Behind Thanh's gaunt face lies a wealth of sadness. Photo: Nhu Suong

It wasn't until later, when Thanh was in 11th grade and economic conditions improved as her older sisters were able to work to help their mother care for her, that her family took her to see a doctor. However, by then, Thanh's condition had worsened and complications had begun to develop, making treatment very difficult.

“After being examined at Tan Ky district hospital, Thanh was transferred to the provincial hospital, and then to K Hospital (Hanoi). There, the doctors said she had widespread papilloma on her lower leg, causing lumps to appear on her leg, the scientific name of which is Human Papilloma Virus – HPV. But because the disease had already progressed and spread deeply into her bloodstream, the longer it was left untreated, the more widespread the infection became, and now it has spread to her foot, causing it to swell like a cauliflower. Now she can no longer walk. All day she can only sit or lie down; even personal hygiene requires her mother's help.”

"On hot days, the pain is minimal, but whenever the weather changes or on cold days, the swollen area becomes unbearably painful. And my granddaughter almost always has to stay awake all night because the pain is so unbearable that she can't sleep," Mrs. Thu said, her voice choked with emotion.

The desire to donate organs to save lives.

At Thanh's age, she would normally have graduated from university, have a stable job, and perhaps even be happily in a relationship with a man who truly loves her. But now, she can't even manage to get around or help her mother with housework, and almost all her personal needs depend on her mother.

“I don’t know how many times I’ve thought about dying to spare everyone the trouble and worry, because the family’s finances are already difficult, and now with my illness, my mother doesn’t even have time to take care of the fields. But the image of my elderly mother toiling, running around trying to find a cure for me, keeps flashing through my mind, and I stop and forget that thought. Because no matter what, my mother will always love me, and she’ll always be willing to sacrifice everything for me. If I die now…”, Thanh’s voice trailed off.

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Thu's anguish as she speaks about her unfortunate daughter's illness. Photo: Nhu Suong

After many sleepless nights of contemplation and knowing that her illness was incurable, Thanh wanted to do something so that even after death she would still be a useful person. Therefore, after researching information online, she decided to donate a part of her body to medical science so that someone else could have the chance to continue the dream that Thanh had to leave unfinished – the dream of becoming a doctor.

"This is something I've thought about a lot, not a rash decision. It's because during my time in the hospital, I met and talked with patients in difficult circumstances who needed organ transplants to continue living. Meanwhile, the supply of donated organs for surgery is very limited, and according to tests, many parts of my body, such as my liver and kidneys, are still healthy. So I decided to donate a part of my body so that someone else can continue to live."

"Currently, I've also looked into the information and procedures for donating my body and organs, and they're not too complicated; I just need to fill out a form expressing my willingness to donate my body," Thanh shared.

Despite her intention, Thanh still had concerns because organ donation requires the consent of family or relatives to ensure the process runs smoothly, and her mother was still unaware of her plan. Thanh wanted to gradually talk to and explain the situation to her mother, and only proceed with the donation procedures once her mother fully accepted it.

Like Dew