Two hospital beds, two cancer medical records
“I just wish the patient was me, not both husband and wife carrying the same disease like this...” – Ms. Can Thi Huong's choked words made many people feel heartbroken when witnessing her family's difficult situation at K Hospital.
At the age of 50, when they should have lived peaceful days with their families, Mr. Tran Van Sinh and Mrs. Can Thi Huong (Hien Luong commune, Phu Tho province) are struggling with two dangerous cancers. The family, which was originally near-poor, is now even more deadlocked as both have received bad news one after another.
In the hospital room at K Hospital, the couple silently took care of each other. One person was in pain and worried about the other. Long sleepless nights due to illness and worry about food and clothing made their eyes deeply imprinted with fatigue and helplessness.
For many years, Mr. Sinh's family's life has only depended on a few acres of rice fields and hired work around the village. Despite the hardship, the couple still tried to raise their children to study.
The incident happened in 2024 when Ms. Huong often had chest pain. After many examinations, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. The bad news was lightning-fast for a family that was already in difficulty.
To have money for his wife's surgery and treatment, Mr. Sinh had to run around borrowing money. Relatives and villagers who could help tried to share. After the surgery, Ms. Huong continued hormone treatment and regular check-ups.
It was thought that the storm would pass, but when the debt for his wife's treatment had not been paid off, at the beginning of 2026, Mr. Sinh again developed symptoms of prolonged cough, swallowing and rapid weight loss.
Examination results at K Hospital determined that he had advanced stage esophageal cancer.
Holding her husband's diagnosis results in her hand, Ms. Huong was almost devastated. The woman who had gone through days of fighting cancer now has to witness her husband continue to enter a life-and-death battle.
Helpless tears
After being encouraged and treated by his family and doctors, Mr. Sinh underwent surgery to open the stomach to nourish and receive chemotherapy, and is currently being treated at Internal Medicine Department 3, K Hospital.
Currently, Mr. Sinh has undergone surgery to open his stomach to nourish it and is undergoing chemotherapy. Due to a fecal tumor hindering eating and drinking, his health has seriously declined, and he is almost unable to work anymore.
Meanwhile, Ms. Huong still has to treat her illness, and at the same time try to work as a sanitation worker to earn some income to cover living expenses.
I used to think that as long as I overcame the illness, it would be okay. But now my husband also has cancer, I really don't know what to do. Seeing my husband in pain every day and helpless, I feel very heartbroken," Ms. Huong burst into tears.
Relatives said that the assets in the house were almost gone. The pig, the chicken flock, the old motorbike - the most valuable things of the family - have all been sold to get money for treatment.
Their eldest son, born in 2004, also only helps with part-time work with his parents, while they are raising their second son who is only in 7th grade this year.
The income of the couple before getting sick was only temporarily enough for life in their hometown. But since the illness struck, both of them have hardly made a living, especially Mr. Sinh. Because esophageal tumors obscure the digestive tract, he has to eat through a gastric opening, which is very inconvenient, leading to very weak health, unable to do anything to earn extra income. Ms. Huong has to try to work as a worker to earn a living.
Mr. Sinh added that when the couple fell ill, we had to borrow money from relatives and family everywhere to pay for medicine outside of insurance and daily living expenses. That amount has reached about 250 million. Currently, Mr. Sinh and his wife have to move down to stay at his mother-in-law's house in Thach That, Hanoi for convenient travel and treatment at K Hospital. All monthly living expenses depend on the 6 million VND salary of Ms. Can Thi Huong with her job as a sanitation worker in Thach That.
MSc.BSNT Hoang Ngoc Giap - Department of Internal Medicine 3, who directly treated Mr. Sinh, shared that the patient was prescribed immunotherapy combined with chemotherapy - a method that brings more hope in treatment. However, the cost of medicine is very large, up to tens of millions of VND per month, exceeding the family's ability.
Due to insufficient funds, he can currently only receive regular chemotherapy.
The road ahead for the poor couple is still very long and full of hardships. When illness simultaneously strikes both of them, accumulated debts and the burden of raising children make them almost have no support.
Every day that passes for Mr. Sinh and Ms. Huong is a battle for life. They still encourage each other to try to treat each other, still nurture the hope of being with their children for longer. But to continue that journey, the family really needs the joint help of the community.
Every sharing, no matter how small, can become a valuable source of encouragement, helping the poor couple have more opportunities to heal and overcome the most difficult period of their lives.
All help for life situation LD26167 please send to Tam Long Vang Charity Social Fund - 51 Hang Bo, Hoan Kiem, 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.
