"This burden is heavy on my shoulders, but my whole family depends on me. I have to keep going," said the 51-year-old Hong from Thua Liet village, Ha Tay commune, Hai Phong City.
The family's hardships began in 2007 when their second daughter was born with cerebral atrophy. After several trips to Hanoi yielded no hope for treatment, they had to accept the reality of her condition. Hong's wife, Nga, put aside everything to care for their daughter, only working during the two rice harvest seasons to supplement their food supply. The financial burden fell entirely on Hong's salary as a riverboat captain.
In 2015, Hong's mother fell ill and became bedridden. Nga single-handedly managed everything from caring for her mother-in-law and two young children to working in the fields. "I had to persevere so my husband could work without worry. Our family already had many burdens, and if both of us stopped working, I don't know how we would survive," Nga shared.
The worries took a toll on Hong. In 2022, he suffered from a blocked artery and required a stent to save his life. The nearly 100 million VND cost of the surgery was borrowed. As soon as his health stabilized, he rushed back to work, fearing that if he lost his job and health insurance, any future illness would further burden his family.
In 6/2024, having just managed his mother's funeral after her 9 years of being bedridden, his 13-year-old son, Nguyen Binh Minh, suddenly developed a high fever and unexplained weight loss. Tests at the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion diagnosed him with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a common type of blood cancer in children.
From that day forward, Nga left everything behind and embarked on a journey with her son to fight his illness at the hospital.
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Pham Thi Nga, 50, and her son Nguyen Binh Minh, 14, at their home in Thua Liet village, Ha Tay commune, Hai Phong City, on the morning of 19/9. Photo: Provided by the family. |
Hong continues to work as a ship captain, taking on extra jobs whenever possible. However, his total income is at most 7 million VND per month. This already meager amount must now be divided to cover various expenses: a portion sent home to his mother-in-law to care for his daughter with cerebral atrophy, another portion for his eldest daughter's university tuition, some to repay the debt from his surgery, and the remainder sent to Hanoi for his wife and son's hospital fees and medication.
In Hanoi, Nga seeks charitable meals daily. She gives her portion to her son, hoping to save money to buy him milk and fruit for extra nourishment. "My husband works so hard; if I can't earn money, I have to try to save," she said.
Last August, Minh was transferred to the National Children's Hospital to receive blinatumomab, a targeted immunotherapy drug, with the hope of stabilizing his minimal residual disease (MRD) levels – an indicator of remaining cancer cells – before a bone marrow transplant.
"The doctors said if the transplant is successful, his health will recover, and he'll have the chance to go back to school like his friends," Nga recounted.
The road ahead remains uncertain. The costs of the transplant and medication are substantial, while debts continue to pile up, and the family's assets have been sold. Yet, Hong and his wife encourage each other to fight for their son's life.
"Debts can be repaid gradually; as long as we have each other, we have everything," Nga stated.
With the aim of inspiring hope for children with cancer in difficult circumstances, the Hope Foundation has partnered with Ong Mat Troi to launch the Sun of Hope program. Every contribution from the community adds a ray of light to the future generation of the country. Readers can support the program here:
Program Name: Ten cua ban - Sun of Hope
Program ID: 195961
Quynh Nguyen
