Heartbreaking sobs by the Lam River
“God has no mercy on my children and me! Why are my husband and I suffering so much?!” These were the choked sobs of Ms. Le Thi Huong when we visited her family, a fishing family residing on the banks of the Lam River, at the foot of the Ben Thuy Bridge.
Misfortune never comes alone.
After Typhoon No. 10, the small fishing village at the foot of Ben Thuy Bridge remained desolate and dilapidated. In her rickety house, Ms. Le Thi Huong sat silently beside the altar of her 7-year-old daughter, Dieu Huyen. The terrible disease of cirrhosis had taken her away from her family. Earning a living from fishing, the couple's life was already precarious, so when they received the devastating news that their daughter could not be saved without a liver transplant, the two of them felt helpless.
These days, Ms. Huong is unable to go to the market to sell her goods. She tries to get through this difficult period by collecting and selling scrap materials. But the suffering of this poor family doesn't end there. Her second son, Nguyen Van Nhan, has also undergone medical examination: He needs a liver transplant to treat congenital polycystic kidney disease and hepatopulmonary syndrome. Ms. Huong is like a person without a soul, because now she doesn't know what to do.
Fragile human lives
Out of love for his daughter and grandchildren, Huong's father-in-law, Mr. Nguyen Van Du, tried his best to alleviate some of the hardships for the couple. But at over 70 years old, he couldn't do much. Day after day, he still went back and forth, helping his son mend nets and cast fishing lines, but he himself was powerless to change his life.
On numerous occasions, Mr. Nguyen Van De, Ms. Huong's husband, considered giving up his life on the river and finding work on land to ease his hardship. However, this thought was thwarted because he is illiterate, making it difficult for him to find another job. Despite the local authorities' best efforts, they were unable to provide much assistance to the impoverished family.
Swallowing their grief, the fishing family struggled to return to their livelihood on the Lam River. On lucky days, the family had enough money for food and some medicine for their grandson, Nguyen Van Nhan. On other days, when no fish or shrimp caught in their nets, Mr. De and Ms. Huong could only... "wait for fate." They desperately need the support and compassion of the community.
All support and assistance should be sent to the following address:
Ms. Le Thi Huong, residential group 11, Ben Thuy 13 block, Truong Vinh ward, Nghe An province; Account number: 6012121988 - Le Thi Huong, Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank (MB).
Journalist Nguyen Ngoc Dung, phone number: 0913.064.060
