Struggling with 2 children with thalassemia

After getting married and having their first son in 1992, in 1997, Mr. Tinh and his wife were happy to have two more twin daughters, Mac Thi Huong and Mac Thi Ngoc.

But the happy, joyful life of the family only lasted a few years, followed by a series of hard days because Huong and Ngoc were both diagnosed with congenital hemolytic anemia. For the past 18 years, Huong and Ngoc have had to go to the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion for treatment every month. Although they have insurance coverage, because they have to be treated with many drugs that are not covered by insurance, plus food and travel expenses, each treatment for Huong and Ngoc costs more than 5 million VND/person.

The income from Mr. Tinh's construction work and from the few fields that Ms. Trong cultivated was not enough to ensure the family's life and treatment for her two children, so in 2006, Ms. Trong decided to borrow money to go to Taiwan to work. "Those years, I worked as a housekeeper, and I saved every penny I earned to send back to pay for my children's medical treatment. In 2019, due to the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic, I had no job so I returned home. Since then, apart from planting a few fields, I have only stayed home to take care of my two children because their health is poor and they always need an adult to be there," Ms. Trong said.

Currently, Huong and Ngoc's health is getting worse. Both spleens are enlarged, and their hearts and livers have heavy iron deposits... Both children are currently being treated at the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion and at Bach Mai Hospital. The amount of money spent on each treatment is increasing.

Ms. Trong added: "For 18 years, raising and caring for sick children, my husband and I have been exhausted in every way. Now it's even more difficult because a few months ago, my husband was diagnosed with diabetes. Now my husband's health is weak, so he works one day and takes the other off, making his income even more unstable."

It is known that not only Mr. Tinh and Ms. Trong's two daughters have this disease, but Mr. Tinh's niece also has the same disease. There were months when all three of her nieces had to be hospitalized together for treatment.

Ms. Tran Thi Lan, President of the Red Cross Society of Hop Tien commune, said: "The family of Mr. Tinh and Ms. Trong is in very difficult circumstances. The local government, departments, branches and organizations have helped, but they still need more help from benefactors to help the family ease their difficulties."

Please send any assistance to: Ms. Le Thi Trong, Dau Ben village, Hop Tien commune, Nam Sach, Hai Duong, phone number 096 207 6263 or to Ms. Tran Thi Lan's account number: 2303205116473, Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development.