Heartbreaking story of a second grade boy taking care of his bedridden father

(Baonghean) - Listening to her talk about her disabled father with each sob, about her dream of becoming a doctor, we could not hold back our tears. Only in 2nd grade, because of the family's unfortunate circumstances, she has become mature and experienced compared to her 7 years old self.

In early March, we visited the house of Nguyen Manh Tan and Nguyen Thi Thuy in Hamlet 4, Hung Phuc Commune (Hung Nguyen). It was 11am but only Tan was lying on the bed. There was nothing valuable in the house. Hearing someone calling, he could only lie in one place and shout.

Five years ago, Mr. Tan had an accident, paralyzed all four limbs, and was completely dependent on his wife and two small children for all his personal activities. While we were chatting, suddenly a child's voice came from the gate: "Dad, today I got 10 points in Math again!" Mr. Tan lay on the bed, smiling proudly: "That's my youngest son, very obedient and a good student!"

Hoang gives his father water when his mother is away. Photo: TT

Entering the house was a small boy, dark skin, big round eyes and smiled shyly when he saw a stranger in the house. After greeting us, the boy quickly went inside to get water and brought it to his father with a straw.

He did everything carefully and quickly as if it had been his habit for a long time. Once he was done, he went into the kitchen to get the rice cooker, washed the rice, and cooked it while waiting for his mother to come home. That was Nguyen Trong Hoang.

This year, Hoang is in 2nd grade at Hung Phuc Primary School. Hoang sat down on a plastic chair next to the bed, massaging his father while gently telling us about his family situation.

“It has been 5 years since the motorbike hit him. My father has to lie in bed, unable to move or do anything. Every day, my mother wakes up early in the morning to take care of my father, from eating, going to the toilet, changing clothes... My father is paralyzed, and his body is covered with sores. In addition to taking care of my father, my mother also sells goods on the street and works in the fields to earn money for my siblings and me to go to school, and also for medicine for my father.

Since Dad had the accident, he has been unable to move his limbs and has had to use a plastic straw to eat and drink. But he has to have his mother or Truc, Hoang’s older sister, feed him rice and porridge so he can eat and drink a little. I can only help him drink water when Mom and Sister are not home.

Thinking back to the days when my father was still healthy, working as a construction worker to earn money to support the family, it was such a joy. Even though my parents had a hard time raising me and my siblings, the family was always filled with laughter and happiness.

Happy because every night the whole family sits down to dinner together, gathered together. Dad Tan picks up food for mom and two sisters. After dinner, my sister sits at the desk to study, while I watch TV with my parents or listen to them discuss farming and gardening...

But that joy suddenly disappeared after the accident happened to Dad. Dad had to stay in the hospital and receive treatment for years, from the provincial hospital to Hanoi for many days, but Dad still could not recover as before. Mom sold everything valuable in the house to buy medicine and pay for Dad's hospital bill, but it was still not enough. Dad had to go to the hospital once a month, each time he had to stay in the hospital for more than a week before returning home, Mom also had to stay and take care of Dad for a week.

At home, I could only help my mother take care of the chickens and do odd jobs, while my sister Truc took advantage of her time off from school to help her mother sell goods. The two of us sometimes went out together to catch crabs and snails in the fields to sell to earn extra money for our mother to buy meat, or to save money in the piggy bank to buy clothes and books for the next school year.

I remember the times when the whole family ate rice with vegetables for many days in a row, the adults said that Dad was severely anemic, and had to rush to take Dad to the hospital. There was nothing left in the house to sell, and when Dad was hospitalized, Mom had to run around the neighborhood to borrow money to take Dad to the hospital. I felt so sorry for Mom, she really wanted to buy fish and meat for Dad, but the money she saved from selling goods was only enough to buy medicine.

One time, I heard my mother talking to Truc: "Mom doesn't have money to feed dad and the two of you delicious food. When dad gets well, I will make it up to you two!". Every time I heard my mother say that, I really wanted to cry...

Hoang is a good son, good at studying and very filial. Photo: TT

On school days, seeing my friends being taken to school by their fathers, I felt very sorry for my father. He was not allowed to take me and Truc to school, he had to stay home alone, unable to get water to drink or peel orange segments to eat.

I don’t know what to do to make my dad healthy again. I wish my dad’s legs were as healthy as before, his hands could move, he could play with me and most importantly he could sit down and eat with the family. But many adults who came to visit my dad shook their heads, I know it would be difficult for him to be like before. I really want to be a doctor. I will try my best to study hard so that I can become a doctor in the future, to heal my dad’s legs and those who are unlucky like him.

Summer is approaching, Tan's father often has difficulty breathing. On hot days, his face turns purple and he can't speak. If he's at home, his mother will be by his side, immediately helping him sit up and rubbing his chest, so he won't be in pain. Last summer, there were many days when my mother had to stop selling outside the school gate to stay home and take care of my father. I'm so afraid that my father will die. I want my father to wait until I finish medical school and then I can cure him. I love my mother very much but I don't know what to do...

Thien Thien - Tran Thuy