Senile husband and wife take care for two mentally ill daughters

The senile husband and wife Phan Duc Hanh (71 years old) and Nguyen Thi Lan (68 years old) are living a small, poorly furnished house in Trung Hiep Hamlet, Cam Hiep Bac Commune, Cam Lam District. The elderly couple has been taking care for their two mentally ill daughters and one grandchild for several years.

 

Hanh and Lan have three sons and three daughters, all born healthily. In 1995, the eldest daughter, Phan Thi Anh Nguyet (born in 1981, who was then an eighth-grade student), wanted to drop out of the school and started to behave peculiarly. Nguyet afterwards was diagnosed to be schizophrenic by the doctors at Khanh Hoa General Hospital. She is now receiving psychiatric treatment at Khanh Hoa Provincial Psychiatric Hospital (Dien Phuoc Commune, Dien Khanh District).

 

 

As said by Hanh, at that time, their family was not as poor as now. They devoted time and money to their daughter. Unfortunately, in 2004, their second eldest daughter, Phan Thi Kieu Duong (born in 1983, who was a 3rd year student), was diagnosed to suffer from depression. Duong could not continue her studying at the university because her condition got worse and worse.

 

Hanh’s family is a poor household in Cam Hiep Bac Commune. Hanh lost his leg in the war and is using a prosthetic leg. Previously, he was the main labor in the family. His wife, Lan, often got ill; therefore, she could only did household. Farming and rearing were their mainstay. In order for their daughters to be treated, Hanh and Lan had to sell their properties. Because of her illness, Kieu Duong sometimes has behaved violently towards her parents. Therefore, Lan and Hanh had to build a small separate room for Duong to live. 

 

 

Reportedly, Anh Nguyet’s condition used to be better thanks to receiving effective treatment. Nguyet got married in 2007 (without marriage registration). In 2008, she gave birth to Phan Nu Anh Thu. However, two years later, Nguyet’s symptoms recurred. Her husband left home since then.

 

The other four sons and daughter all got married and are living away from the hometown; therefore, they cannot visit their parents frequently. 

 

Nguyen Thi Thai, Chairman of Cam Hiep Bac Commune, said that the commune has provide social support to the family of Hanh; called on Vietcombank Nha Trang to offer monthly scholarship of VND500 thousand to Anh Thu. However, looking after two mentally ill daughters and one grandchild is getting more and more difficult for the senile couple.

 

Hopefully, the readers and sponsors everywhere will offer assistance to Hanh’s family so that they can cope with the difficulties.

 

All the supports can be sent to Phan Duc Hanh (phone number 0120.2348222) or the charity box of Khanh Hoa Newspaper office (phone number 02583.822019) at 77 Yersin St., Nha Trang City, or Khanh Hoa Newspaper’s bank account at Vietcombank Nha Trang (account number 0581000765262).

 

B.K.H

Translated by H.N