Hope the 'child warriors' with cancer will always be strong

Representative of Tuoi Tre newspaper presented gifts to Nguyen Lam Duc Phu (9 years old, Nha Be, Ho Chi Minh City) who is being treated at Children's Hospital 2 on the morning of May 28 - Photo: TTD

On the occasion of International Children's Day June 1, the Thuy's Dream program organized by Tuoi Tre newspaper presented gifts including cash worth 5 million VND and gifts worth 300,000 VND to disadvantaged children with cancer.

Child in pain from cancer, mother burst into tears

Sitting next to his mother during the gift-giving ceremony at Children's Hospital 2 (District 1), little boy Le Anh Kiet (Ba Ria - Vung Tau province) was always smiling and happy. However, Kiet's hands were covered with bruises, needle marks, and IV fluid marks.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Trang, Kiet's mother, looked at her son and couldn't help but feel heartbroken. Ms. Trang said Kiet had leukemia, but always tried to keep a bright smile on his face. He got sick while he was in 6th grade, so Kiet had to drop out of school, and Ms. Trang quit her job and went to Ho Chi Minh City to take care of her son.

"Kiet was taking a few final exams when he was hospitalized. The teacher said that he would reserve his results and that he would continue taking other exams when he returned home. But now he has to be treated continuously, and we don't know when he will be able to go back to school," Trang said sadly.

The woman, about 30 years old, talked about her child with tears streaming down her face. She said that every time she saw her child being given a bone marrow puncture by the doctors, her heart ached: "I'm an adult, but I'm still scared and feel pain when I see it, and yet..."

Meanwhile, Ms. Hoang Thi Hong Gai - mother of Nguyen Hoang Thinh, an 8-year-old patient being treated for bone cancer at Oncology Hospital 2 (Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City) - could not hide her pain when describing her child.

She said Thinh had been cured but now the disease has relapsed and has now metastasized to the brain.

"Now that my child can't walk anymore, I have to go receive gifts on his behalf. I don't know when I won't be able to see him again," Ms. Gai cried.

Meaningful words of encouragement

Speaking to the pediatric cancer patients at both hospitals, Ms. Tran Dong, head of the "Fight against Cancer" Club with nearly 8,000 cancer members across the country, said that she herself had overcome the journey of fighting this terrible disease.

Diagnosed with nasopharyngeal cancer in 2012, Ms. Dong was shocked and could not accept the truth, and then decided to bravely face the "battle" to overcome the disease. After 42 rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, Ms. Dong said that she has now won and is healthy, although her body still has many after-effects.

"I believe that you will also be healthy and overcome your illness. I hope you will be brave, smile a lot, and have confidence to defeat cancer," she said.

Similarly, athlete Le Van Cong, who suffered from leg atrophy but still trained to win a gold medal in world para-weightlifting, wished the children a speedy recovery so that they could return to life, pursue their dreams, or return to school with their friends.

On the occasion of International Children's Day June 1, Thuy's Dream program hopes that the gifts will be a source of spiritual encouragement, bringing joy and motivation to the children, as well as their families in the journey of fighting illness.

The program gave 150 gifts (more than 800 million VND contributed by readers) to pediatric cancer patients at 10 hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang and Thua Thien Hue. The place with the least number of gifts was 5 gifts and the place with the most number of gifts was Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital.

Thuy's Dream program gives gifts to cancer patients at Children's Hospital 2 on the morning of May 28 - Photo: TTD

Mr. Ha Thanh Phuc, representative of Ben Thanh tea room, gave gifts to children with cancer at Children's Hospital 2 on the morning of May 28 - Photo: TTD

Children with cancer participate in a quiz game in the Thuy's Dream gift giving program at Children's Hospital 2 on the morning of May 28 - Photo: TTD

Ms. Tran Dong and athlete Le Van Cong, two examples of people who have overcome cancer - Photo: THANH HIEP

Gift giving ceremony on the afternoon of May 28 at Oncology Hospital, Branch 2 (Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City) - Photo: THANH HIEP

On the occasion of International Children's Day June 1 this year, the Thuy's Dream program organized by Tuoi Tre newspaper will give 150 gifts worth more than 800 million VND to 150 sick children in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Thua Thien Hue, held from May 27 to 31.

Thuy's Dream Program was established by Tuoi Tre newspaper in September 2007 from the wish of Ho Chi Minh City's young citizen Le Thanh Thuy - suffering from bone cancer, to care for and provide mental support to pediatric cancer patients. The program has received and supported more than 51 billion VND for pediatric cancer patients. 2024 is the 17th year of the program.

Outstanding activities in recent years include: "Sunflower Race" : online walking/running , "Red Blood Drops for You": donating blood to help children with cancer. "Thousands of gifts for hand": calling on the community to join hands to support gifts and funds for children with cancer on the occasion of International Children's Day June 1. "Sunflower Support": supporting funds to help children with special difficulties with treatment, prosthetic limbs, etc. "Unexpected Trip": supporting free trips for children who are about to die to return to their hometown. "Sunflowers Spread": from children, parents and experts (doctors, nurses, psychologists, artists, etc.) on treatment and prevention when suffering from cancer. Mobilizing artists, young people, children, the online community, etc. to participate in the dance "Sunflowers" to spread optimism and encourage children with cancer.

Readers can participate in supporting the program Thuy's Dream directly at the Tuoi Tre newspaper headquarters (60A Hoang Van Thu, Ward 9, Phu Nhuan District, Ho Chi Minh City), phone number: 0283.9973838 or Tuoi Tre newspaper representative offices in provinces and cities.

Transfer to Tuoi Tre newspaper account, account number: 113000006100, Industrial and Commercial Bank (branch 3, Ho Chi Minh City).

Readers abroad please transfer money to Tuoi Tre newspaper account, USD account number: 0071370195845 or EUR: 0071140373054 (Vietcombank, Ho Chi Minh City branch, Swift Code: BFTVVNVX007).

Note: Clearly state the transfer content: Support "Children with cancer".

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/mong-cac-chien-binh-nhi-mac-ung-thu-hay-luon-vung-vang-20240528194824275.htm