Among the solid houses in Vinh Binh hamlet, Tan Ngai ward, Vinh Long province, there is a makeshift shack hidden behind the garden. There, Mr. Pham Ngoc Hung (born in 1982) is fighting against two terminal cancers every day in extreme poverty.
We came to Mr. Hung's family's residence on a hot noon. The small hut given temporary accommodation by relatives has no valuable assets. In the middle of the simple floor, a folding chair supported by local people is where he has been resting for many weeks.
According to relatives, about two months ago, Mr. Hung showed many abnormal signs such as prolonged sore throat, difficulty swallowing, and rapid physical exhaustion. When going for examination, the family was shocked to hear that he had oral cancer and end-stage esophageal cancer.
No house, no land for production, for many years Mr. Hung and his wife have lived by selling lottery tickets on the street. Unstable income is only enough to cover daily meals, so when the disease strikes, the family almost has no ability to manage.
Lying on a folding chair, the thin man with a gaunt face said that since the day he was diagnosed with the disease, his family has no money for treatment. He only takes traditional medicine introduced by acquaintances in the hope of reducing pain and improving health.
Mr. Hung choked up and said: "I know my illness is very serious. Now I only feel sorry for my wife and children. My daughter is still too young, I don't know what the future will be like if something happens to me. That is what I am most worried about.
That worry became even heavier when his wife, Mrs. Mai Thi Diem (born in 1981), also had many diseases in her body. She often suffered from blood pressure, vestibular disorders, prolonged physical fatigue but did not have the conditions to go for examination.
According to Ms. Diem, before, the couple also tried to sell lottery tickets to earn a living. Since her husband fell ill, she has to stay at home to take care of him, so her only source of income has also been lost. Every day that passes, the family only knows to rely on the help of the surrounding people.
More heartbreakingly, Mr. Hung and his wife's daughter, born in 2024, has not yet been issued a birth certificate due to extremely difficult circumstances.
Ms. Diem said with tears in her eyes: "Many days there is no money left in the house. I just hope my husband is less in pain, and my children can go to school like other children. My husband and I don't dare to think of anything else.
As someone who has lived near her family for many years, Ms. 8 Hanh said that Mr. Hung's circumstances were already poor from before. The couple has no assets, their lives depend on selling lottery tickets, so they are always short of money.
Seeing the situation is very heartbreaking. The family has been poor before, now Mr. Hung has a serious illness. What makes everyone most pity is that his child is still too young, the future is very precarious when both father and mother are sick," Ms. Hanh shared.
Ms. Mai Thi Tam - Head of the Front Work Committee of Vinh Binh hamlet - confirmed that Mr. Hung's family is in particularly difficult circumstances in the locality. The government and mass organizations are supporting the birth certificate for his son, and at the same time mobilizing resources to help the family overcome the difficult period.
Looking at the man suffering from two terminal cancers lying on a folding chair, in a makeshift hut, many people cannot help but feel heartbroken. Next to him are his sick wife and a young daughter who is not yet two years old. In a situation of illness and poverty surrounding them, the family really needs the sharing of philanthropists to overcome this difficult period.
All help for life situation LD26148 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.
Or contact directly Ms. Mai Thi Tam - Head of the Front Work Committee of Vinh Binh hamlet, Tan Ngai ward, Vinh Long province: Phone number: 0795. 851. 511
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