Heartbreaking family situation of seriously ill twin couple

Mr. Vo Van Tai (born in 1988) and Ms. Le Thi Thao (born in 1996) living in Hamlet 3, Thanh Thuy Commune, Thanh Chuong District got married in 2015. In early 2016, the small family happily welcomed their first daughter. At the end of 2017, the family was overwhelmed with joy when they learned that she was pregnant with twins.

But from here the disaster began to strike.

On April 1, after a severe pain, Thao's family had to take her to the Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital for emergency care. There, she gave birth to two premature babies, Vo Van Viet Anh and Vo Van Tuan Anh, when the fetus was 8 months old. Despite being hospitalized for a month, the two babies were still unable to be weaned off the ventilator because of their poor health. Doctors diagnosed the two babies with respiratory failure, meningitis, and acute pneumonia.

On April 27, the family transferred Tuan Anh to the National Children's Hospital because his condition was getting worse. As for Viet Anh, his condition was less severe and partly because of the family's difficult circumstances, they had to continue treatment at Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital.

After 1 month of treatment at the National Children's Hospital, baby Tuan Anh often cried and his family was shocked when the doctor diagnosed that the baby also had hydrocephalus.

Ms. Thao with Tuan Anh at the National Children's Hospital. Photo: Diep Phuong

Five months after birth, the twins are still in two different hospitals. Up to this point, Tuan Anh has undergone three surgeries, had hydrocephalus drained and may have to go abroad for treatment, while Viet Anh is still being treated at Nghe An Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital. Thao's family has also split up to take care of the children. The mother and father take turns going to Hanoi to take care of Tuan Anh, while the grandparents take care of Viet Anh in Nghe An.

At just 26 days old, baby Viet Anh had to leave his parents. His grandfather took care of him alone at Nghe An Maternity and Pediatrics Hospital. Photo: Diep Phuong

With red eyes on a sunken face with dark circles from many sleepless nights taking care of her child, Ms. Thao was moved: “Sometimes I think about my child and feel so sorry for him! The older brother was only 26 days old and already lacked his mother’s breath, his father’s arms, and his grandfather’s care at the provincial hospital. The younger brother’s condition got worse and worse, with a lot of pus coming out, he cried more and more, there were days when he cried until his face turned purple and he fainted.”

Tuan Anh's medical record. Photo: Diep Phuong

The two children have serious illnesses that have left the family feeling like they are sitting on a bed of fire. The two children are being treated in two different hospitals, along with the extra expenses such as medicine, food, travel, etc., which are very expensive, so the family is now exhausted.

To have money to treat his children, Mr. Tai had to sell all his buffaloes and cows, all the assets that could be mortgaged in the house and asked relatives to borrow money everywhere. The debt is now more than 100 million VND, the interest is compounding every day but the children's illness has not improved but is getting worse.

Meanwhile, hydrocephalus is a serious disease, and in Vietnam, it can only be treated temporarily. If the child is to be cured, they must go to Singapore, which will cost up to 2.5 billion VND. For a family that works hard all year round to make a living, this is a huge amount of money, so the hope of saving the two children is very slim.

The family situation of Mr. Tai and Ms. Thao really needs the sympathy and help of the community so that the family can have hope to cure the terrible and deadly disease of their two poor twin sons.

Please send any help to the Department of Publishing and Social Activities - Nghe An Newspaper, No. 3, Le Nin Avenue, Hung Phuc Ward - Vinh City - Nghe An. Contact phone: 02383.588.138; 02388.600.006.

Or: Mr. Vo Van Tai, Hamlet 3, Thanh Thuy Commune, Thanh Chuong District. Phone 0964.087.304. Account number 1305205353512, Agribank Trang An Branch.