These days, Mr. Tran Van Phuc (born in 1957) is almost always on duty by his wife's bed, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Tuyen (67 years old). In the cramped hospital room, the thin woman lay motionless, her left arm and left leg could no longer move after a recent stroke. Every day that passes for Mr. Phuc's family is a race against illness and treatment costs...
Previously, Ms. Tuyen used to work in the postal industry. After quitting her job, she did small business, sometimes selling vegetables, sometimes selling snacks outside the market. Life was already struggling, but by 2023, she began to show signs of health exhaustion. Initially, it was just prolonged fatigue, by the end of 2023, she was diagnosed with kidney failure, forced to have dialysis to maintain life.
The tragedy did not stop there. About 1 week ago, Ms. Tuyen suddenly suffered a stroke, completely paralyzed her left arm and left leg. At the time of onset, she was taken to the emergency room, treated for a week at Bach Mai Hospital, then transferred to the Central Endocrinology Hospital to continue treatment and long-term monitoring. Currently, Ms. Tuyen is almost lying in one place, all personal activities depend on her husband.
According to Mr. Phuc's sharing, Ms. Tuyen is suffering from stage 5 kidney failure - the final stage, with a very serious prognosis. "The doctor said we can run as long as we can. In the immediate future, we must have at least 4-5 months of rehabilitation, but the risk is always constant...", Mr. Phuc said choked up.
Every day, Mr. Phuc stays by the hospital bed, taking care of every meal, sleep, and taking care of his wife from the smallest things. He himself is also not healthy when he is old, causing vision loss and frequent joint pain. Previously, Mr. Phuc worked as a security guard with a salary of about 3 million VND/month, but now his health has declined, and he no longer has a stable income.
Ms. Tuyen's burden of treatment costs has become the biggest obsession of Mr. Phuc's family. Travel, medicine, and hospital fees each month amount to nearly 15 million VND, far exceeding the ability of the two of them to manage. Currently, the family only receives social allowances of about 1 million VND/month, a very small amount compared to the long-term treatment needs.
Their only son is currently working far away, with low income, and can only provide some support when conditions permit.
Talking to a reporter of Lao Dong Newspaper, Ms. Tran Thi Man - Head of Van Hoi village, Thuong Tin commune, Hanoi said that Mr. Tran Van Phuc's family is one of the particularly difficult cases in the locality. Ms. Tuyen suffers from a dangerous disease, has to have regular dialysis, and has just had a stroke leading to hemiplegia. Mr. Phuc is old, in poor health, with unstable income, but still has to be on duty to take care of his wife day and night. The locality has paid attention and supported within its ability, but the treatment costs are too high, exceeding the family's ability.
According to Ms. Man, for Ms. Tuyen to have more opportunities for treatment and reduce the burden on her elderly husband, it is very necessary to have the joint effort and sharing from the community. "Each help, no matter how small, is a valuable source of encouragement to help the family overcome this difficult period," Ms. Man said.
All help for life situation LD26024 please send to Tam Long Vang Charity Social Fund - 51 Hang Bo, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi. Account number (STK) 113000000758 at Vietinbank Hoan Kiem Branch, Hanoi; Account number: 0021000303088 - at Vietcombank Hanoi Branch; Account number: 12410001122556 - at BIDV Hoan Kiem Branch.
