Located on the top floor of a house in a small alley on Chua Lang street (Hanoi), the 4th floor rented room was renovated from the terrace where Truong Quang Binh and his son (born in 2008, from Thanh Hoa) rented to live and rely on each other for many years.
In a patched-up room, the 53-year-old father still bears all living expenses and treats his child, while Binh, at the age of 18, has to fight against his terrible kidney failure every day.
Truong Quang Binh was diagnosed with glomerulonephritis in 2015 when he was in 2nd grade. From glomerulonephritis, the disease progressed to nephrotic syndrome and then kidney failure in 2017. For the past 11 years, Binh's life has been associated with the journey of treatment. Currently, he has to have periodic blood filtration 3 times a week to maintain his life.
Recalling the early days of discovering the disease, Binh said that at that time he was too young to fully understand the seriousness of the disease he had.
“Initially, I just thought my illness was a bit severe, and after a while I would recover. But years have passed, my condition has not improved but is getting worse,” Binh confided.
The memory that Binh cannot forget is the early days of treatment when the family's economy was extremely difficult.
There were meals that were only enough for me to eat, and my father quietly mixed instant noodles with a lot of water to survive the day," she sadly recalled.
Sitting next to his son, Mr. Truong Van Su (53 years old, from Thanh Hoa) could not hide his sadness when talking about the journey of more than a decade with his son fighting illness.
Since Binh fell ill, I have almost been unable to do a stable job because I have to be on duty by my child's side. Currently, the family's income mainly comes from seasonal jobs such as helping out with charity meals, collecting scrap, or doing whatever work anyone hires near the house," Mr. Su said.
It is known that due to his serious illness, Binh cannot be alone. Many times he has convulsions or sudden fatigue, which is very dangerous, so he always needs someone to be by his side.
In addition to medical expenses, the expensive cost of living in Hanoi makes the life of the two fathers and sons not easy at all.
Every month, in addition to blood filtration costs, Binh also has to use hematopoietic drugs, calcium drugs, blood pressure medication and many other supportive drugs. Meanwhile, Binh's health is increasingly deteriorating, and the need for treatment is increasing," Mr. Su said sadly.
Up to now, after more than a decade of fighting illness, Binh's health is increasingly depleted. Binh weighs only about 36kg, is often tired and short of breath. During the days of hemodialysis, he almost only lies down to rest. Even climbing up to the rented room on the 4th floor also exhausts him.
I don't dare to think about the future much. I just hope to live a little longer to be with my father. If there is a miracle that helps me recover, I just want to be able to show filial piety to my father and become a useful person in the future," Binh choked up.
At the age of 18, when many peers were taking the graduation exam, nurturing dreams of university or future jobs, Binh still had to continue the battle with illness through prolonged blood filtration sessions.
My friends are all 18 years old now, taking the graduation exam and worrying about the future ahead. Many nights I lie awake thinking and feel sorry for myself but can't do anything else because I'm not healthy," Binh couldn't hide his emotion.
Sharing about his current wishes, Mr. Su hopes to receive help from philanthropists to have more funds for treatment for his son.
I just hope that philanthropists will sympathize with the circumstances of the two fathers and sons, support him so that he can have more blood filters and more medicine, then his health will also be better, and he will have the opportunity to prolong his life. As long as my son is healthy to be by my side for another day, I am happy for that day," Mr. Su expressed his hope.
According to Dr. Nguyen Hai Nam - Head of the Artificial Kidney Department, Nam Thang Long Hospital, patient Truong Quang Binh suffered from kidney failure due to complications from glomerulonephritis contracted from a young age.
Currently, the patient has had hemodialysis for more than 3 years in the department, is in poor health, and unable to work. Meanwhile, the father has unstable jobs, so the family faces many economic difficulties," said Dr. Nam.
We hope that agencies, organizations, philanthropists and readers near and far will join hands to help Truong Quang Binh have more conditions to treat his illness. Each sharing at this time not only helps him cover the cost of medicine and blood filtration but also adds hope for the 18-year-old boy to continue his journey to fight for life with his father who has accompanied him for more than a decade.
All help for life situation LD26046 for Truong Quang Binh and his father, 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.
