In a cramped rented room in Minh Lap 2 hamlet, Nha Bich commune (Dong Nai city), Ms. Thi Ngoc (born in 2003) is always present next to her youngest son - baby Dieu Gia Nguyen (born July 24, 2025). Long sleepless nights, her child's weak crying and constant worry have become a familiar rhythm of life for the young mother.
Ms. Ngoc's family has two children. The eldest child Dieu Thien Nghi (6 years old) is of school age but her studies are also interrupted due to difficult circumstances. Since giving birth to baby Nguyen, Ms. Ngoc has been forced to quit her job of shaving rubber - a job that once brought about 6 million VND/month, to wholeheartedly take care of her children. All living expenses, rent of 1 million VND/month and treatment money are now on her husband's shoulders - Mr. Dieu Bram, who also works as a hired laborer in the same profession, with unstable income.
The incident began when baby Gia Nguyen, who seemed healthy at birth, only appeared signs of prolonged jaundice after a short time. Feeling something was wrong, Ms. Ngoc took her child to Children's Hospital 2 for examination and received a heartbreaking result: the baby had serious liver and gallbladder disease.
By the end of October 2025, baby Nguyen's condition worsened. He had a high fever of 40 degrees, severe pneumonia, shortness of breath, had to be supported with a ventilator and was hospitalized for emergency treatment. After a week of intensive treatment, he was transferred to the liver and gallbladder department. On November 28, 2025, doctors performed gallbladder surgery for baby Gia Nguyen.
After surgery, baby Nguyen's health became more stable at one point, and the doctor let him go home. However, complications after surgery caused the baby's gallbladder to shrink, seriously affecting liver function. Since then, the disease has progressed more complicatedly, the baby often has high fever, and jaundice recurs due to bile tract infection.
Ms. Ngoc said that after the surgery, baby Gia Nguyen's abdomen became increasingly abnormally large, stiff and uncomfortable. This condition caused the baby to eat poorly, cry often, and the body was weakened. Doctors added that the atrophy of the gallbladder had seriously affected the liver, making the disease worse.
Every time my child has a fever, I take him to the hospital for treatment. Every time my child is seriously ill and has to lie down for two weeks for treatment, the cost is nearly 10 million VND, I only know to try to save my child," Ms. Ngoc said choked up.
Not only physically painful, baby Gia Nguyen also has to endure prolonged pain every time the liver "heats up". The nights the child fusses and cries continuously make the young mother exhausted. "Some days the child cries all night, I have to stay up all night. Looking at the child in pain is very sad, I only know how to coax and comfort the child, many times I only know how to hug the child and cry...", Ms. Ngoc said.
To date, the total treatment cost of baby Nguyen has reached tens of millions of VND. Previously, to have 32 million VND for the surgery, Ms. Ngoc had to rely on the support of philanthropists in the hospital. In subsequent hospitalizations, the family continued to borrow everywhere to maintain treatment.
According to the doctor's diagnosis, baby Gia Nguyen has entered a stage of severe cirrhosis, and to maintain life, a liver transplant is needed. However, the cost of the surgery is too large, far exceeding the family's ability.
Life was already difficult, now it is even more depleted. Ms. Ngoc married when she was very young, growing up in a deprived situation when her father died early. Both families are not well-off, and cannot provide much support. Her younger brother also had to drop out of school early to work as a hired laborer to help the family.
In a simple rented room, meals are often just superficial. "Sometimes my child craves milk but I don't have money to buy it. I love my child very much but I don't know what to do," Ms. Ngoc sadly shared.
Meanwhile, Mr. Bram has to work hard to support his family but still does not have enough to cover expenses, especially the burden of hospital fees, medicine and living expenses, causing the family to fall into a deadlock.
Baby Gia Nguyen's journey ahead is still very long, while the chance of survival depends on a costly liver transplant. With the current situation, the family is almost unable to manage.
Talking to a reporter from Lao Dong Newspaper, Mr. Tran Van Nhan - Head of Minh Lap 2 hamlet, Nha Bich commune, Dong Nai city, said that Ms. Thi Ngoc's family is in a difficult situation in the locality, and their lives mainly depend on precarious hired labor. Since their youngest child contracted a serious illness, the family's economy has become even more exhausted, and all expenses are focused on treating their child.
The locality also regularly cares and encourages, but the family's circumstances are very difficult, and the treatment costs are too high, exceeding their ability. We really hope philanthropists and benefactors near and far will join hands to help so that the child has the opportunity to continue treatment," Mr. Nhan shared.
All help for life situation LD26114 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.
