Three events in the life of a 50-year-old mother

Quang Nam Four years ago, when she learned that her husband, who she had just married for a week, had terminal liver cancer, Ms. Loi collapsed and thought she would never recover.

The pain was compounded when Ms. Pham Thi Thuy Loi, 50 years old, in Tam Vinh commune, Phu Ninh district, was more than three months pregnant with her daughter.

"We knew each other for four years before getting married, because we wanted to wait until our children were a little older," said the mother, who has two children, now 19 and 12, with her ex-husband.

She said she felt like she was "suddenly pushed off a cliff" but remembered what he told her to "try to live to raise the child for him" so she wiped her tears and got up. In 2020, when she was 7 months pregnant, Loi once again mourned her husband.

The youngest child Yen Vi was born healthy and cute, which was the mother's motivation to live. After 6 months of maternity leave, she sent her child to her grandparents and returned to her job as a factory worker. But when the child was over 20 months old, she suddenly had a fever, lost her appetite, and had pale skin.

Ms. Loi took time off work to take her child to a private clinic. Seeing that her child's heels were pale and her skin was covered in rashes, the doctor advised her to take her child to Quang Nam Provincial Hospital for a blood test. There, the doctor concluded that the child had high-risk acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a form of cancer. Yen Vi was transferred to the 600-bed Da Nang Hospital for emergency treatment, then to Ho Chi Minh City for treatment.

"The doctor gave me three options: go to Hue, go to Hanoi or go to Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City is further away but my husband's cousin works there," she said.

Ms. Loi and her daughter Yen Vi at Children's Hospital 2, Ho Chi Minh City, March 2024. Photo provided by the character

Xuan Duy, Loi's eldest son, said that a series of events made his mother's face always on the verge of tears. "She was devastated and lost a lot of weight because she sacrificed so much for us. When I grew up and wanted to have a peaceful family, I didn't expect it to be even more miserable," he said.

Xuan Duy's parents lived near each other, both went to the South to work as factory workers and then got married. In 2007, after the wedding, they returned to their hometown to live because their parents were old. Two children, a boy and a girl, were born, and Loi thought that their marriage was complete. But in 2012, after a sleep, her husband never woke up. His wife stayed single as a factory worker, earning more than four million VND to raise two children. When the children understood, she thought about her own happiness.

He planned to go to vocational school after graduating from high school, but seeing his mother suffer, Xuan Duy went to work as a factory worker, earning about 7 million VND per month to support his younger sister who is in 6th grade and his old grandmother.

The burden was shared, but still weighed heavily on Ms. Loi’s shoulders when the mother was old and her young child was seriously ill. Yen Vi had to undergo five long treatment sessions, before starting radiation therapy because the cancer cells had invaded her brain. The treatment time is expected to be about three years.

"Before that, the company's union knew about my situation and called on workers to donate 25 million VND, but the emergency treatment for my child in Da Nang has already cost 17 million VND," she said. To have money for her child's treatment, she called her family to borrow more than 40 million VND. The mother and child also live thanks to the support of benefactors and the kindness of volunteer groups.

Doctor Nguyen Huynh Khanh Vi, Department of Hematology and Oncology, Children's Hospital 2, Ho Chi Minh City, said that Yen Vy is in her fifth treatment period, after which she will go to Hue for radiation therapy for about two weeks to a month, before maintenance treatment once a month. "Currently, her health is more stable. Because of her difficult circumstances, the hospital is also helping her with her treatment," the doctor said.

The cost of treatment is a pressure, but maintaining the spirit and health to stay awake with the child and suffer with the child's pain is the biggest challenge. Every time chemotherapy is administered, Khanh Vi trembles with fear. When the chemicals are injected into the child's body, the child has a fever, vomits, and has difficulty urinating, forcing the 50-year-old mother to stay up all night to take care of her.

"The most painful thing is that every time we take blood, the baby cries loudly, 'Mommy, it hurts so much', which makes the mother feel hurt too. I just wish I could take the pain for her, but I'm helpless," she said.

The journey of Loi and her children is still long. The mother only hopes to live healthy and long enough to accompany her children. She longs for the kindness of strangers who can save her children from this situation. "I don't wish for myself anymore. I just hope that God will bless, bring peace and health to my children," she said.

With the goal of lighting up the faith of children with cancer, the Hope Foundation in collaboration with Mr. Sun launched the Hope Sun program. Another joint effort from the community is another ray of light sent to the future generations of the country. Readers can see the program information here.

Pham Nga

Source: https://vnexpress.net/ba-bien-co-trong-doi-nguoi-me-tuoi-50-4730094.html