8-year-old child with serious disease wishes to go to school

Vo Thi Ngan Tuyen (born in 2015, residential group 14 Ngoc Thao, Ngoc Hiep Ward, Nha Trang City) has suffered from systemic lupus erythematosus since she was 2 years old. Due to the disease, she has stayed in the hospital more than at home and cannot go to school. 

As said by Tuyen's mother, Nguyen Thi Kim Tha (born in 1983), when Tuyen was 2 years old, she often had long-lasting high fever, facial swelling, weak arms and legs, and could not walk. The family brought Tuyen to Children's Hospital 2 (Ho Chi Minh City). The doctors diagnosed her with systemic lupus erythematosuse, which requires treatments and follow-up to save her life. The disease has caused damaged in Tuyen’s skin, joints and muscles. The treatment costs a large mount of money that the family cannot afford. 

Vo Thi Ngan Tuyen is in need of help

Tha’s famiy is a nearly-poor household in Ngoc Hiep Ward. They are working as daily workers cleaning and taking care of ornamental plants at a tourist site with a daily wage of about VND200,000/person. However, Tha had to quit her job and stay at home to take care of Tuyen in the hospital. Vo Ngoc (born in 1975), Tha's husband, has worked hard to earn money for his daughter’s medical treatment and debt repayment. They have borrowed VND75 million from their relatives, neighbors and banks. Meanwhile, Tuyen has still been ill and needs long-term treatment.  

Tha has two other children namely Nguyen Thuy Kim Thuy (born in 2003) and Nguyen Huu Tien (born in 2006). Thuy is a third-year student at Nha Trang University. She works part-time at a pizza restaurant to pay her tuition fees, but she has to leaver her job when she is busy with her studying. Tien had wanted to learn car mechanics after finishing his junior high school. However, he decided to work as a restaurant waiter to earn money to help his family. 

Tuyen also has liver disease and has suffered loss appetite, so she weighs just over 24kg. She has had a nasty rash over her body, muscle stiffness and joint pain. Tuyen cannot go to school because of difficulty walking. She learns on the internet and wishes that she can go to school like other children.

As said by Nguyen Tem, head of residential group 14 Ngoc Thao, acknowledging the difficult circumstances of Tuyen’s family, the locality has offered support to the family and hopes that people everywhere will give help so that they can overcome the difficulties. 

People who want to help Vo Thi Ngan Tuyen can contact Nguyen Thi Kim Tha (tel: 0964.014249) or Khanh Hoa Newspaper office (tel: 0258.3822019) at 77 Yersin St., Nha Trang City. Support can also be sent to Khanh Hoa Newspaper’s bank account at Vietcombank Nha Trang (account number 0581000765262).

Thuy Dương
Translated by H.N