We went to a small house on the An Binh Islet (Vinh Long Province) on a rainy afternoon, where Mr. Phan Van Hien and his three children lived.
In a cramped room, the eldest son, Phan Nhat Hao (born in 2004), was lying on a hammock, breathing a little tiredly due to colon cancer that broke out in early 2023.
Hao said that before he discovered the disease, he often had difficulty going to the toilet, thinking it was constipation, so he bought medicine and adjusted his diet. However, his condition did not improve, and when he went to the doctor, he learned that he had colon cancer.
Previously, Hao only studied until grade 9 and then quit to work to help the family with a salary of nearly 5 million VND, both to take care of her living expenses and to supplement medicine for her mother who also had colon cancer. Unfortunately, her mother passed away nearly 5 years ago.
Mr. Hien sadly said that he alone works to raise fish ponds with an income of less than 5 million VND/month, and has to take care of his seriously ill child.
The other son has just graduated from grade 12, and has to temporarily put his university dream aside to stay at home to help his father take care of him.
"People also have many diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure, but try to work day after day. The family is currently in debt of 215 million VND, and the monthly bank interest is also very stressful, let alone medicine for the children, Mr. Hien shared.
According to him, all current activities and treatments are done with the care of the people in the village and the community. "If it weren't for the rice and fish shared by the neighbors, my father and I wouldn't know how to get by" - Mr. Hien said.
Mrs. Sau Diep, her neighbor, could not hide her grief: "The situation of Mr. Hien and his son is truly pitiful. I can only help with fish and cakes, but I cannot afford to pay for medicine to treat Hao every day.
Mr. Le Van Mum - Head of Phu Thuan 2 Hamlet, An Binh Commune, confirmed: "Mr. Hien's family is in a particularly difficult situation. The father and son depend on his small salary, less than 5 million VND per month. While Hao's treatment cost is more than 50,000 VND/day, not to mention other support tools".
According to Mr. Mum, Hao is currently receiving a monthly subsidy of more than 1 million VND from the locality, but that number is not guaranteed. In addition, the locality regularly mobilizes donors to send gifts and rice to support the family to overcome immediate difficulties.
"I just hope to receive more help from the community, so that my child can continue treatment, and I have health to take care of them," Mr. Hien expressed his wish.
All the help of LD25045 life would like to send to the Golden Heart Social Fund - 51 Hang Bo, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi. Account number (STK) 113000000758 at VietinBank Hoan Kiem Branch, Hanoi; STK: 0021000303088 - At Vietcombank Hanoi Branch; STK: 12410001122556 - At BIDV Hoan Kiem Branch.
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