In residential group No. 8, Vinh Tuy ward (Hanoi City), Ms. Phan Thi Mai Phuong's family is facing successive difficulties.
Ms. Phuong's eldest son, Vu Khuong Duy (born in 2012), suffers from cerebral palsy and has been in need of care from relatives for many years. The mother who once had to quit her job to stay home to take care of her child has now been diagnosed with cancer.
According to Ms. Phuong, baby Duy was born with normal physical condition. At about 6 months old, the family began to notice that the child had abnormal signs, often spinning around. Taking the child to the doctor, the family was informed that Duy had cerebral palsy and was disabled.
From a young age, Duy has undergone many examinations, treatments and rehabilitation. From 6–18 months old, he was taken to the National Children's Hospital for monitoring and training. Duy does not know how to crawl, does not know how to wade and cannot speak. After the rehabilitation process, around 18 months old, he can walk.
From the age of 4-5, Duy was taken by his family for daily acupuncture. After more than a year of treatment, his strabismus showed signs of improvement. The family also took him for hydroacupuncture but then had to stop because doctors assessed his limited recovery ability.
When Duy was 6 years old, the family sent him to study at an educational institution for children with disabilities with a cost of about 5 million VND/month. After a period of time, studying did not bring the desired results, so the family had to let him drop out.
From the age of 7 until now, Duy has mainly stayed at home. Relatives persistently train him in basic living skills, but Duy cannot be completely self-controlled in personal hygiene. To ensure safety for his child, the family has to make a frame in the house for Duy to be in.
Throughout the long years of taking care of her child, Ms. Phuong used to take advantage of working as a domestic helper, but in recent years she quit completely to spend all her time taking care of Duy. Life was already difficult and now became even more difficult when in August 2026, Ms. Phuong went for an examination and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, accompanied by hepatitis B.
Bad news came while the mother was still the main support for her disabled child, making the family even more worried. If Ms. Phuong had to undergo long-term treatment, taking care of Duy would also become a difficult problem.
Sharing about her current situation, Ms. Phuong could not hide her worry. More than 10 years of taking care of her child, she has become accustomed to the days around Duy, from taking her child for examination and treatment to taking care of the smallest daily activities.
For the past 14 years, my husband and I have tried our best to treat my child as much as possible. Now I have a serious illness, so the difficult situation is even more extreme. I am only worried when I no longer have enough strength to take care of my child, I don't know what will happen to him...", Ms. Phuong choked up sharing.
Currently, Ms. Phuong's family's income mainly depends on Mr. Vu Xuan - her husband. Previously, Mr. Xuan worked as a freelancer, then switched to collecting and sorting garbage. The job is unstable, sometimes there is work, sometimes not, income completely depends on the amount of garbage collected.
My job is sometimes there, sometimes not, the income is not much, but my wife and children are like that, so I have to try my best. I just hope my wife has the conditions to treat her illness to take care of the children together," Mr. Xuan said.
Not only his wife and children have health problems, but the elderly in Mr. Xuan's family also suffer from many diseases. Ms. Phuong's mother - Ms. Vu Thi Co (born in 1952) suffers from diabetes, dyslipidemia, hypertension, kidney failure and insomnia. Medication costs outside of insurance are about 1.3 million VND per month. Mr. Xuan's mother - Ms. Pham Thi Hong (born in 1956) has had blurred vision for many years but has not had the conditions for surgery. She also suffers from joint diseases that make her back increasingly hunched.
Amidst that situation, her young daughter Vu Thi Minh Tam, 10 years old, still tries to study. Baby Tam learns English well and has received some certificates of merit. The family really hopes that her child will have the conditions to continue studying, without having to suffer more disadvantages due to circumstances...
Talking to a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper, Ms. Duong Thi Minh Nguyet, head of residential group No. 8, Vinh Tuy ward (Hanoi City) said that Ms. Phuong's family is the most difficult household in the group.
Currently, Ms. Phuong has cancer, the family's situation is already difficult because her child is sick, and now it is even more exhausted. Ms. Phuong's mother and mother-in-law also live with the family, constantly sick. Over the past time, the group has had a box of noodles, a bottle of cooking oil, a package of MSG, a banh chung, even a backpack, a backpack... we also prioritize giving it to Ms. Phuong's family. We really hope readers and philanthropists will support Ms. Phuong to have more funds to treat her incurable disease, and the family will be less difficult and miserable," Ms. Nguyet said.
All help for life situation LD26214, 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.
