On a late June afternoon, at Oncology Hospital Facility 2, TP HCM, Quynh massaged the stiff, numb legs of her 12-year-old son, Ly Duy Luan. Following his fourth round of chemotherapy, Luan developed a blood infection, high fever, and lost the ability to move.

In the hospital corridor, her husband, Ly Hau, 39, had just arrived by bus from Oncology Hospital Facility 1 to join his wife in caring for their son after his own radiation therapy session.

For over a year, Quynh's family has been fragmented. She and her husband have remained at the hospital, while their 16-year-old daughter lives with her paternal grandparents in Soc Trang ward, Can Tho City. "The most important people in my life are battling cruel illnesses; I have cried until my tears ran dry", she stated.

Ly Duy Luan, 12, undergoing treatment for brain cancer at Oncology Hospital Facility 2 (TP HCM), 6/2026. Photo: Family provided

Before these illnesses struck, the family relied on a monthly income of 8 million VND from the couple's odd jobs. In 6/2025, Hau began coughing up blood and losing weight, leading to a diagnosis of nasopharyngeal cancer that had metastasized to his brain. His subsequent chemotherapy and radiation therapy quickly depleted the family's savings of several tens of millions of VND. Just as her husband's treatment entered its third month, Quynh received a second devastating diagnosis.

The day she traveled by bus to Soc Trang to complete enrollment procedures for Duy Luan to enter grade 6, Quynh noticed her son's face was pale. Luan frequently clutched his head, complaining of pain. These persistent headaches, accompanied by nausea and loss of balance, caused the boy to stumble even on flat surfaces.

At Children's Hospital 1, doctors discovered a malignant tumor deep within the boy's brain. Luan underwent surgery to remove 30% of the tumor, then transferred to Oncology Hospital Facility 2 for continued chemotherapy and radiation therapy. From that point, Quynh's family's treatment journey became a series of bus trips back and forth between hospitals.

In mid-6, Luan began his fourth round of medication at Children's Hospital 1. The 12-year-old's body struggled to withstand the side effects of the high-dose chemotherapy. Luan developed a blood infection, a severe drop in white blood cell count, and his legs became stiff and numb, losing the ability to move. After three consecutive sleepless nights spent applying cold compresses to reduce her son's fever, Quynh's eyes were deeply sunken, and her hands trembled as she spoon-fed him thin porridge.

"Standing at the brink of my son's life and death, I felt I lost my most steadfast support, my husband", she shared. The simultaneous rounds of chemotherapy and radiation therapy severely weakened Hau's health. Due to receiving treatment at different hospitals and on separate schedules, he often attended his radiation therapy sessions alone. After his own treatment, he would take a bus to his son's hospital to relieve his wife and assist with various tasks.

For over a year, the couple's income has been nonexistent. Their sustenance at the hospital has depended on charity meals. To cover living expenses and purchase medications not covered by insurance, Quynh has had to borrow nearly 100 million VND from relatives and friends.

"My husband and I don't have enough money to rent a room, so Hau often sleeps in the hospital corridor", Quynh revealed.

Back in their hometown, her father-in-law is also battling lung cancer, while her mother-in-law suffers from diabetes with complications. "Many nights, watching my husband and son lose all their hair due to chemotherapy and radiation, I have to suppress my pain, tell myself to be strong, and be the pillar for the whole family", Quynh shared.

Supporting child patients with rare diseases and difficult circumstances is an activity within the Mat troi Hy vong (Sun of Hope) program, implemented by Quy Hy vong (Hope Foundation). Each community contribution sends another ray of hope to the nation's future generation. Readers can support the program here:

Program name: Ten cua ban - Mat troi Hy vong

Program ID: 22966

Nga Thanh