Wishing between mud and tears
After nearly 1 year since the catastrophic landslide in Ca Thanh commune, Nguyen Binh district, Cao Bang province that killed dozens of people, including teacher Truong Thi Mai An - Vice Principal of Tinh Tuc Kindergarten. Before her death, Ms. Mai An always wished her young daughter Nguyen Quynh Anh to have thoracic surgery.
Ms. Mai An unfortunately passed away on a fateful evening on September 9, 2024, when on her way home from school, she was trapped in the midst of a serious landslide that buried many vehicles. In the last call to the biological mother, she only had time to tell her grandmother to let the two children go to bed early and informed her that she could not return. Three days later, her body was found in the cold stream.
Her passing left an irreparable void in the small family that had already caused difficulties. Dieu Chau - the eldest daughter - had congenital cerebral palsy and had to study at an integration center, while Quynh Anh - only 6 years old - had congenital thoracic stenosis and a rare syndrome, causing the stomach to be illegally distorted. Before passing away, Ms. Mai An was always searching for every way to be able to have chest surgery for Quynh Anh, with the wish that her child would grow up normally like many of her peers.
Ms. Mai An's husband, Mr. Nguyen Trong Nghia - a union member, used to work as a security guard in Hanoi to earn more income to treat her child, and later suffered from serious illness due to health and mental exhaustion. In that adversity, the dream of treating Quynh Anh seemed to be buried with her mother under the mud after the natural disaster.
The journey to rekindle confidence
Not letting Ms. Mai An's wishes be forgotten, the Cao Bang Provincial Federation of Labor, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor, Lao Dong Newspaper and the Golden Heart Fund, the Company and union members and workers of Cao Bang Metallurgy Joint Stock Company (a unit under the Vietnam National Coal - Mineral Industries Group) have called for support and joined hands to help teacher Mai An's family.
In a short time, trade unions at all levels have coordinated to mobilize a total of more than 104 million VND. In particular, the Golden Heart Social Charity Fund has mobilized union members, workers, civil servants, laborers and kind-hearted people to donate VND 22,860,000; The Company and union members and laborers of Cao Bang Metallurgy Joint Stock Company (where Mr. Nghia is working) have donated VND 81,800,000).
At the same time, the units also connected with a specialized hospital to advise on the appropriate treatment for Quynh Anh. After careful preparation in terms of health, psychology and finances, on June 9, Quynh Anh underwent thoracic surgery at the National Children's Hospital.
The surgery was a great success. The child's health is currently stable and he is expected to be discharged in the near future. This success is not only a new life for a disadvantaged baby, but also a complete end to the aspirations of a resilient and loving mother. The timely, responsible and humane participation of the Trade Union organization has become a solid support, helping to spread the belief in the kindness and strength of the community.
Although the losses will still be deeply imprinted in memories, the story of teacher Mai An and Quynh Anh will continue to inspire about determination to live, about kindness and acts of kindness. From those things, hope is lit up and continues to spread in every roof.
Talking to reporters, Mr. Nguyen Trong Nghia said that the family is completing procedures for the baby to be discharged from the hospital, the family would like to thank everyone.
