In the midst of Hanoi's peak sunny days, the atmosphere inside the apartment building in Giang Vo ward (Hanoi) is thick with the smell of medicine and deadlock.
There was no loud complaints, only the numbing silence of the elderly couple who were fighting against dangerous diseases at the same time.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh (born in 1961) is probably the person who understands the cruelty of the disease best. In 2006, she discovered she had breast cancer, and in 2015 it was cruel when she learned she had thyroid cancer. To date, prolonged chemotherapy has exhausted her energy when malignant cells metastasized to the lungs.
Now even the simplest thing, which is to sit up or walk around the house, I have to do it with all my might. The biggest fear is not pain, but seeing monthly prescriptions up to tens of millions of dong while my pocket is empty. I'm exhausted', Ms. Thanh said with a hoarse voice.
The storm of illness did not stop there. Her husband - Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Son (born in 1952), is also suffering from colon cancer and kidney failure. Both pillars of the family are now unable to work.
Mr. Son shared that the family's only daughter (born in 1996) currently does not have a stable job, and often has to work far away to cover living expenses. Therefore, taking care of the health of both husband and wife when sick is also extremely difficult.
I don't have a pension, my income is zero. Every daily life depends on the support of my parents' family, collecting every penny of vegetables and porridge. Many times lying in the hospital, looking at people in pairs taking care of each other, I just feel lonely, saying I'm not sad is lying', Mr. Son said.
Witnessing his wife increasingly weakened while he himself was also tormented by illness, Mr. Son could not hide his deadlock: "The most painful thing is seeing my wife have a painful attack and I can't do anything. I myself am also seriously ill, many times I want to help her up but I can't even stand firmly. Both are weakened, looking at each other without knowing what tomorrow will be like.
According to Ms. Le Thi Thanh (Head of the Red Cross Society branch in residential area No. 22, Giang Vo ward), Mr. Son's family is a particularly difficult case in the locality. The Red Cross Society has grasped the information and regularly cares for and supports the family, especially on holidays and Tet.
The branch has proposed the case of Mr. Son's family to Giang Vo ward for consideration and support, and at the same time mobilized donations on occasions during the year to help the family and encourage the couple to continue to persevere in their treatment," Ms. Thanh said.
We hope that agencies, organizations, philanthropists and readers from near and far will join hands to help the wife/husband of Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh and Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Son have more conditions to cover treatment costs, overcome the difficult period ahead, continue to maintain their lives and have more opportunities for treatment in the challenging journey ahead.
All help for life situation LD26086, wife/husband of Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh and Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Son, 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.
