In a small rented room in group 4, Phu Binh neighborhood, Hoa Loi ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Ms. Nguyen Thi Trang, 56 years old, is taking care of her niece Ta Thi My Duyen every day. 8-year-old Duyen suffers from epilepsy and white blood disorder.
Ms. Trang left her hometown to go to the city to earn a living from 2014. Her life turned in a different direction when she met and adopted granddaughter Ta Thi My Duyen.
My Duyen is not Ms. Trang's biological granddaughter. One day, the mother used the excuse of going to buy diapers and milk for her child, asked Ms. Trang to look after her and did not return. Seeing that the child was too young and had nowhere to rely on, Ms. Trang could not bear to abandon him. That decision also caused her many difficulties. The family did not agree to let her return if she continued to raise the child. She was asked to choose between giving the child to someone else or sending her to an orphanage. In the end, she chose to stay with the child.
I feel sorry for my child who is still young, if her mother leaves, who will she rely on? I think I can suffer no matter how much, as long as she has someone to take care of her," Ms. Trang shared.
Not long after being adopted by Ms. Trang, My Duyen began to experience seizures. She took her to the hospital for examination and treatment for nearly half a year, but her condition did not improve. After that, doctors transferred her to Children's Hospital 2 (Ho Chi Minh City) for further treatment. Here, My Duyen was diagnosed with epilepsy and white matter cerebral leukopathy. Since then, the hospitalizations have been continuous...
Ms. Trang, from a sanitation worker with a relatively stable job, was forced to quit her job to be by her grandchild's side. When her grandchild was healthier, she took advantage of collecting scrap metal or taking on any job that was hired. Every day she earned more than 100,000 VND. That meager amount of money was mostly spent on buying medicine outside the insurance list for My Duyen. When Duyen was hospitalized, she had to ask her roommate to help take care of her grandchild to take advantage of going to work...
The life of the two grandmothers and grandchildren in the hospital often depends only on charity meals, on days when there are none, Ms. Trang buys instant noodles for the two grandmothers and grandchildren to eat together. On days when My Duyen is tired, she cannot leave her grandchild to go to work, the grandchild demands a bowl of minced pork porridge, and she has to run to ask for money from each person to be enough to buy her grandchild a meal.
Not only My Duyen is sick, Mrs. Trang's health is also getting weaker and weaker. She had a mild stroke and suffered from sciatica, and had to go to the hospital for re-examination and medication every month. At an old age, her health is no longer as before, but she still tries. On days when she is healthy, she goes to collect scraps; on days when she is hospitalized, she stays by the hospital bed. Just like that, the life of the two grandmothers and grandchildren extends between bus trips, hospital rooms and re-examinations.
I just hope my grandchild is healthy and has fewer seizures. I try my best to raise her. If she still needs me, I will try my best. I don't have a fulfilling life, but I still try to give My Duyen the best things I can," Ms. Trang said choked up.
My Duyen's treatment journey is still long, while her grandmother is old, in poor health and has no stable income. The sharing of philanthropists and readers near and far will help Ms. Trang have more conditions to buy medicine, take her grandchild for re-examination and continue to take care of My Duyen in her journey to fight against illness...
All help for life situation LD26210, please send to Tam Long Vang Charity Social Fund - 51 Hang Bo, Hoan Kiem Ward, 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.
