At 03C, An Hoa neighborhood (Thuan An ward, Ho Chi Minh City), Ms. Hua Thi My Duyen's family (born in 1998) has been living in a state of struggling for every penny to treat their child's illness for many years.
Before giving birth to her youngest child, Ms. Duyen was a worker at a private pottery workshop near her house. Since her child got sick, she has had to quit her job to have time to be on duty and take care of her child. Ms. Duyen's husband - Mr. Le Minh Khanh (born in 1994), is currently working as a worker at a wooden cutting board workshop. The job is unstable, he earns about 300,000 VND per working day; on days off, the family loses their daily income.
Duyen and her husband have 3 children: Le Manh Tien (born 2018), Le Minh Khang (born 2022) and the youngest child Le Minh Kha (born 2024).
From 5 months old, Minh Kha began his journey of fighting illness. He had seizures, sometimes cyanosis, and shortness of breath. After examination, Minh Kha was diagnosed with brain disease, epilepsy, retarded development, PEX12 gene mutation, brain damage and severe pneumonia. For more than 2 years, the boy's treatment journey has stretched from one hospital to another. Currently, Minh Kha is being treated at Children's Hospital 2 (Ho Chi Minh City).
“When my child has seizures, turns purple, and has difficulty breathing, I am very scared. Once my child's condition was too serious, the family had to ask for a car to lead the way to take my child to the hospital for emergency treatment. I was just afraid that if I was a little late, I wouldn't be able to keep my child,” Ms. Duyen said choked up.
Not only having to fight prolonged seizures, Minh Kha has lost her ability to eat and drink through her mouth for more than a year now. Porridge, milk and medicine all have to be pumped through a catheter. She cannot speak on her own, cannot eat and drink on her own, and is also not aware of what is happening around her.
According to Ms. Duyen, baby Minh Kha has health insurance, but during treatment, many out-of-list expenses still arise. The family has to buy more medicine, medical supplies, feeding tubes, sedatives and other necessary medicines. Prolonged hospital stays, hospital porridge costs and living expenses also become a burden.
Since her child got sick, Ms. Duyen had to quit her job, all family expenses depend on Mr. Khanh's meager salary. In the early days of taking Minh Kha to the emergency room, Mr. Khanh had to take his wife and children to the hospital and then return home to take care of his two older children. At home, there was also Ms. Duyen's mother - who had leg disabilities due to an accident, so taking care of the children also faced many difficulties. One father had to divide his time between the hospital and the small house; one mother spent almost all year with her seriously ill child. The two older children lacked the care of both parents...
To have money to treat Minh Kha, Ms. Duyen and her husband borrowed from many places, the debt kept increasing while the family's income became increasingly tight. There were days when she did not have money to take her child to the hospital, she had to rely on a 0-dong ambulance. During the long days at the hospital, her mother's meals often only relied on charity meals.
Two years of taking her child for treatment were also two years of Ms. Duyen's poor family living in anxiety. The family's biggest wish is for Minh Kha to continue treatment, limit seizures and have more opportunities to overcome dangerous times. At an age that is still too young, Minh Kha cannot understand what her parents are doing for her. But for Ms. Duyen and her husband, as long as their child has a chance, they still try to hold on.
Currently, Minh Kha is still continuing treatment at Children's Hospital 2. Ms. Duyen's family really hopes to receive the sharing of philanthropists and readers near and far to have more conditions to buy medicine, medical supplies and continue the treatment journey...
All help for life situation LD26200, please send to Tam Long Vang Charity Social Fund - 51 Hang Bo, Hoan Kiem Ward, 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.
