Only 4 years old, baby Hoang Minh Khoa (born in 2022, in Ban Le, Trung Tam ward, Lao Cai province) is suffering from thalassemia, and every month he has to go to the hospital for blood transfusions to maintain his life. He is facing chronic anemia, jaundice, slow development and the risk of damage to many other organs. Currently, his spleen is at level 2, and his liver is also starting to be affected.
To have time to take care of her child, the baby's mother, Ms. Lo Thi Thu, only accepts freelance jobs with unstable incomes. All economic burdens fall on her husband - a hired construction worker with an equally unstable income. Each month, both husband and wife only earn 7 to 8 million VND, the amount of money is only enough to maintain the minimum living for the family, and for treatment costs for her child, she still has to borrow money.
Each blood transfusion, the cost of treatment, travel, and accommodation has reached 2 - 4 million VND, almost half of the amount paid for the whole family. Not to mention, monthly check-ups also significantly affect her child's studies and her mother's time. In the early days when the disease was discovered, Ms. Thu's family was supported and encouraged by people around to overcome immediate difficulties, but small loans gradually piled up over time, becoming an invisible burden.
Not only facing economic difficulties, Ms. Thu's family has also just lost a very important piece of support. Last year, her family was still considered near-poor, but this year, due to the change in the number of people considered for difficult circumstances, the family is no longer on the list of people entitled to state support. This greatly affects the situation of young children suffering from serious illnesses.
Talking to a reporter of Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Dong Van Nhao - Head of Ban Le Residential Group said: "In the case of Ms. Thu's family, it is very difficult. On behalf of Ban Le Residential Group, I also hope philanthropists will help Ms. Thu's family, so that she has the opportunity to be treated.
Mr. Cam Ngoc Manh - Head of the grassroots security and order protection team in Ban Le added that the disease not only greatly affects the economy but also takes away time and effort to take care of him, especially his studies are also very inadequate.
Local authorities have provided initial support, but it is still very limited compared to the baby's long treatment process.
In addition, Ms. Thu said that according to doctors, to completely treat the disease, baby Khoa needs stem cell transplantation with a cost of up to 2 billion VND, a figure far exceeding the family's circumstances. Maintaining monthly blood transfusions for the child is already a great effort, so that the child can live healthy like other children, it is still a faint hope.
Although suffering from a dangerous disease from a very young age, accustomed to blood transfusions and physical injuries, baby Khoa still maintains the innocence and positivity of a child. Sometimes, he even whispered stories to make his mother happier during examinations. That is what has added strength to the mother on the journey with her child fighting illness. "I just hope to be helped by philanthropists so that my child has the opportunity to be treated and live healthy," Ms. Thu choked up.
All help for life situation LD26109, 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.
