Pity the family of the boy who lost both parents

Arriving at Tien’s house on a winter afternoon, the two-room house at the end of the village still had an air of grief. Since Tien’s father passed away, the already difficult family situation had become even more desolate. In the outer room, next to the altar of Mrs. Bui Thi Nguyet – Tien’s mother, a new altar of Mr. Le Canh Dao – Tien’s father was set up.

Before dinner, according to local custom, Tien quietly cooked rice and lit incense for his father. In the lingering smoke, seeing the little child with a white scarf wrapped around his head bowing before his parents' portraits made the hearts of those present even more wrenched, pained by the loss of his father and worried about his future life.

In the sad stories of relatives, it is known that Tien's family has 2 sisters, 4 mouths to feed but only 1 sao of rice field so all depend on the fishing profession of Mr. Le Canh Dao. Every day he goes to sea to fish, catch crabs, and his wife brings what he earns to the market to sell.

It was thought that life would go on peacefully in poverty, but when Tien was 2 years old, Mrs. Bui Thi Nguyet developed epilepsy and had frequent seizures. Feeling sorry for his wife, Mr. Dao saved up and borrowed money to take her to the hospital for treatment several times, but her condition did not improve, so he had to endure the situation of "working when she was healthy, but carrying her to bed when she had seizures".

Despite her serious illness and poor health, Mrs. Nguyet still tried her best. Unfortunately for her, while washing fish in the stream before taking them to the market, Mrs. Nguyet had a seizure and fell into the water. When people discovered the incident, she had died. That year, Tien was only 6 years old.

Le Canh Tien at his father's altar. Photo: Huy Thu

His wife died, his daughter got married, and his father and children were left alone to raise each other. Mr. Dao was left to raise his children alone. But as the folk saying goes, “deep water meets heavy rain”, misfortune still did not spare his family. After several years of his wife’s death, the grief had not yet subsided, and he was diagnosed with a series of incurable diseases such as cirrhosis, diabetes, etc.

Knowing he was sick, but due to circumstances, he still endured, still went to sea to fish for a living, only going to the hospital when he was seriously ill.

Over the past years, his family has been living through the most difficult days, his father was sick, his children were still young, and the money they earned was not enough to buy medicine. In mid-November 2018, his illness became so severe that he could no longer go to sea, so his brothers had to borrow money to take him to the hospital. He passed away a few days after being transferred from the district to the provincial hospital.

After his father passed away, Tien had to fend for himself. Photo: Huy Thu

At Mr. Dao’s funeral, his brothers, relatives and friends all felt sorry for him and for his young child. Tran Thi Thu Ha, a villager, shared: “Seeing me at my father’s funeral, no one could hold back their tears, because at such a young age, I had to suffer such a great loss. At that age, when I was not yet full and had no worries, I suddenly became an orphan, I felt so sorry for me.”

Since the age of 6, Tien no longer had a mother to care for and love like other children, and now he has lost his father. On his innocent face wrapped in a white scarf, outsiders seem to see the pain multiply, because he is still young, not yet fully aware of the great loss of an orphan.

Mr. Le Canh Doan - Tien's uncle said sadly: "Tien's family has been poor since the old days, his parents had to cut down the garden to sell to build this 2-room house. The family has 2 sisters, the older sister married far away but their situation is also ironic. Now he is an orphan at such a young age, it is truly heartbreaking."

The 6th grade boy's face was filled with longing for his parents next to the empty house. Photo: Huy Thu

Orphaned at the age of 12, Tien's family situation became difficult, the most special in the area. His house at the end of the village, which was usually quiet, now became even more desolate and sad.

Sharing the student's situation, teacher Hoang Thi Oanh - Head teacher of class 6D, Nghi Tien Secondary School said: "After Tien's father passed away, we also came to express our condolences and encourage the family. I found Tien's situation really pitiful, when he was in grade 1, he lost his mother, now in grade 6, he lost his father. After understanding the family's situation, the class and the school also launched a fundraising movement to support Tien. With the spirit of "loving others as you love yourself", I hope that authorities at all levels, as well as the community, will pay attention and help, so that he can be taken care of and continue to go to school like many other children"./.