Mr. Then Van Truong (born in 1993) in Ban Tham village, Phu Linh commune, Tuyen Quang province, was originally a construction worker, freelancer. His life in the past was not well-off but still warm with his wife and 3 children including 2 girls and 1 boy. The eldest daughter named Then Thi Nguyet was born in 2012, the son Then Gia Khang was born in 2016 and the youngest daughter named Then Thi Nhu Ngoc was born in 2018.
The upheaval began when in 2024, he and his wife divorced, and all 3 children lived with their father. Since then, Mr. Truong has been carrying the role of both father and mother to take care of his children. The burden of life became even heavier when his son contracted a terrible blood cancer.
Sharing about his son's treatment journey, Mr. Truong choked up and said that baby Gia Khang was diagnosed with blood cancer in 2020. Right in the first year, he had to undergo 3 courses of chemotherapy.
In the 2nd year, the condition became somewhat more stable, so he was transferred to maintenance treatment. Every 2 months, the two fathers and sons pack their bags and go to the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (Hanoi) for tests, examinations and then buy medicine to take home to drink. Each course of medicine costs more than 3 million VND, not including travel and food expenses. That is too much money for a precarious hired construction worker.
By the 3rd year, baby Gia Khang's health showed signs of improving, and the re-examination schedule was extended to 3 times a month. However, that short hope quickly faded by the end of 2025 when the baby's condition relapsed. Doctors were forced to apply the most severe treatment regimen with the hope of saving the baby's life.
It seemed that the condition would improve, but on April 13th, baby Gia Khang had swollen lymph nodes on his head and nosebleeds. The very next day, Mr. Truong immediately took his child to Hanoi for emergency treatment. Since then, the baby has not been able to be discharged from the hospital.
In the cramped hospital room, the poor father helplessly watched his son become increasingly depleted. Mr. Truong said that baby Gia Khang is currently suffering from liver and kidney failure, so he cannot continue chemotherapy. Doctors can only infuse antibiotics and diuretics to survive.
“My child is currently suffering from kidney failure and liver failure and cannot receive chemotherapy anymore, the doctor said that antibiotics can only be given with diuretics, when my child can no longer withstand it, the doctor will have to let him go home. Currently, my child cannot eat anything, complains of chest pain all the time, looking at my child, I feel so sorry. I don't know how long my child will last” - Mr. Truong choked up.
Not only facing his child's illness, Mr. Truong also has to bear the pressure of food and clothing and mounting debts. He currently lives with his elderly parents, but their health is weak, only around raising a few pigs and chickens to help with living expenses. Last year, his mother also suffered a stroke.
As a freelancer, doing whatever anyone hires him to do, his income, which was already precarious, is now even more exhausted because of the months of following his child for treatment. To maintain his child's life, he has to borrow everywhere, and so far the debt has reached about 80 million VND.
In the cold hospital corridor, the single father is still on duty day and night with his son who is in critical condition due to blood cancer. Despite being mentally and economically exhausted, Mr. Truong still tries to stick to it every day, hoping his son will have more opportunities to be treated and prolong his life.
All help for life situation LD26124 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.
