"She bravely accepts it, not crying because she remembers her mother's promise 'you will go home when you're well'", said Nguyen Thi Tam, 30, Nhung's mother.

Tragedy struck Tam's family in late May when Tuyet Nhung developed persistent fever and aching joints. After visiting four hospitals, the 9-year-old girl received a diagnosis of severe acute leukemia at the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of Hematology and Blood Transfusion.

"No one in our family has ever had cancer; my husband and I were stunned, our limbs numb, when we held the results", Tam recalled.

Nhung and her mother Nguyen Thi Tam in Da Teh commune, Lam Dong, 11/2025. *Photo courtesy of subject*.

In their modest, one-story home in Da Teh commune, the farming couple faced a deadlock. With unstable income, they also cared for Tam's paralyzed father-in-law, who suffered a spinal cord injury, and her ailing mother-in-law, who worked as a domestic helper far from home. The doctor's words about a 5-course chemotherapy regimen weighed heavily on their family's finances. After exhausting all savings and borrowing more, the couple divided their responsibilities: the husband stayed home to care for his elderly father and youngest child, while the wife took their daughter to the city for treatment.

The night before they left, Nhung innocently asked, "Where are we going, mom?" Tam held back tears, telling her daughter they were just going to treat a fever for a few days. However, the days that followed became a real battle for survival.

During the very first chemotherapy course, Nhung's fragile body reacted severely. She developed a high fever, swelling, and vomited everything she ate, constantly feeling faint. On nights when her child struggled to breathe, with cold hands and feet, Tam could only hold her and pray. "When she was most exhausted, she whispered, 'What disease do I have, mom, can I be saved?' It felt like salt was rubbed into my wound", the mother recounted.

Beyond physical pain, Nhung also faced psychological fear. Despite trembling with fright whenever she saw a needle or prepared for a bone marrow aspiration, the girl tried to endure as her mother stroked her hair, offering encouragement. Tam admitted to lying to her daughter about returning home, but it was the only way to help her maintain an optimistic spirit during the critical phase of leukopenia.

From an active girl who won first prize in Vietnamese Scholar and school-level Math Olympics, Nhung became quiet. Her books and chess sets now sit untouched in a corner of the house whenever she visits home between treatment rounds. "All her dreams are now on hold; her only dream is to live", Tam sighed.

Currently, Nhung has completed her 3rd chemotherapy course. Her once long, black hair has fallen out, and her limbs are emaciated. Tam's worries grow as their money runs out, and their only asset, a small piece of farmland, is now being considered for sale.

"Even if we have to sell our house, as long as I can still see my child, my husband and I will do everything", the impoverished mother asserted.

With the aim of instilling hope in child patients facing difficult circumstances, the Hope Foundation, in collaboration with Ong Mat Troi, is implementing the Mat Troi Hy Vong program. Every contribution from the community brings another ray of light to the nation's future generation. Readers can support the program here:

Program name: Ten cua ban - Mat troi Hy vong

Program ID: 195961

Ngoc Ngan