On a late May morning, as her friends prepared for their graduation ceremony, Nguyen Phi Nhung, a grade 8 student from Tan Dan Secondary School in Kim Anh commune, was packing with her mother for K Tan Trieu Hospital in Ha Noi, to fight nasopharyngeal cancer.

"She has completed three rounds of chemotherapy, and this time she will begin radiation therapy. We are very worried and stressed because she might develop mouth sores and be unable to eat or drink," said Nguyen Thi Ngoc, 36, Nhung's mother.

Nhung was diagnosed with cancer in early 2026 after persistent sore throats. Her treatment plan includes 30 radiation therapy sessions and 6 chemotherapy cycles over several months. Her long hair, which reached her waist, had to be cut before chemotherapy, leading Nhung to cry for many days.

During the initial days of chemotherapy, the girl experienced continuous vomiting, was unable to eat, and lost 8 kg. This physical exhaustion made her self-conscious, and she would hide in her room whenever friends or relatives visited.

Concerned for their student, Nhung's homeroom teacher and classmates consistently encouraged her to return to school for comfort. Close friends visited three times a day, some even staying overnight, helping Nhung open up.

The child's suffering weighed heavily on her mother. Nguyen Thi Ngoc and her husband divorced when Nhung, their second daughter, was only 5 years old. Nguyen Thi Ngoc herself had undergone three surgeries for breast tumors on both sides. Due to her poor health, her three older children were sent to live with their paternal grandparents and father, while she lived next door with her maternal grandparents to help out.

However, a series of misfortunes struck. Last year, Nhung's paternal grandmother became bedridden after a fall. Early this year, Nhung was diagnosed with cancer. With no other option, the three children moved in permanently with their mother. To manage hospital visits for her daughter, Nguyen Thi Ngoc switched to seasonal work for more flexible hours.

In their hometown, Nhung's father works freelance, with an unstable income of only about 5,5 million VND per month. This meager amount is stretched thin: covering medicine for his ailing, bedridden mother, and borrowing money to send to Ha Noi for his daughter's treatment.

Although health insurance covers 80% of costs, the expenses for off-list medications and nutritional supplements for Nhung are gradually becoming unbearable for the family.

Nhung posing for a commemorative photo on 20/11/2025, a few months before her diagnosis. *Family photo*

In her maternal grandparents' house, the summer heat felt even more oppressive without air conditioning. Out of love for her daughter, Nguyen Thi Ngoc would boil black bean water for Nhung to drink and place a basin of ice water in front of a small fan to blow cool air into the room.

Nhung said that the hospital was cooler thanks to air conditioning, and sometimes charity meals helped her mother save money, but she still longed to go home. The girl missed school, her class, and playing shuttlecock with friends in the afternoons.

Nguyen Dinh Kiem, head of Mon Tu village, Kim Anh commune, stated that Nhung's family currently faces extremely difficult circumstances. Previously, Nguyen Thi Ngoc and her husband had saved enough to build a sturdy house before their divorce, which means that, under current regulations, the family does not qualify for poverty status.

"Local authorities are actively monitoring the situation and guiding the family to complete the necessary paperwork so that Nhung can soon receive 100% health insurance coverage, helping to alleviate some of this immense financial burden," Nguyen Dinh Kiem informed.

The 14-year-old girl still has a long road ahead. For Nguyen Thi Ngoc, her greatest wish is to maintain her own health and ensure that the funds for her daughter's treatment do not run out prematurely, so she can continue to support Nhung through these challenging times.

With the aim of instilling hope in child patients from disadvantaged backgrounds, Quy Hy Vong, in collaboration with Ong Mat Troi, is implementing the Mat Troi Hy Vong program. Every contribution from the community adds 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

Pham Nga