Single father perseveres with 10-year-old son fighting hydrocephalus

Under the old corrugated iron roof of a rented house located deep in a small alley in Binh Hung commune (HCMC), Pham Minh Tien and his son still rely on each other every day, struggling to overcome the difficult days to fight the terrible disease that has haunted them for nearly ten years.

The room is less than a few square meters, the walls are mottled, the furniture is just enough for a small bed and an old fan, but it is the place that contains all the love, strength and fragile hope of a single father for his little son.

Baby Pham Minh Khoi (10 years old) was diagnosed with hydrocephalus when he was just one year old. At that time, his head became abnormally large, he often vomited, cried, and could not sit up or crawl like other children. After the surgery, his health was stable, but complications caused paralysis in his legs, making it difficult to walk, and he needed his father for all daily activities.

Mr. Pham Minh Tien has accompanied his son in fighting the terrible disease for nearly 10 years.

He thought that the pain was over, but when Khoi turned 4 years old, the hydrocephalus relapsed, this time more severely. The boy suffered a brain hemorrhage, fell into a deep coma, and had to be treated in intensive care for many months.

Looking at his young son lying motionless on the hospital bed, breathing weakly through tubes, Pham Minh Tien could only pray silently. “When the doctor said he had to have another surgery, I felt like I had fallen into the abyss again. I was afraid of losing my son, afraid of seeing him in pain. The cost of treatment is not small, and I don’t know where to turn,” Mr. Tien choked up.

Since Khoi fell ill, his wife could not bear the pressure and left, leaving father and son to depend on each other. All the burden of food, medicine, and hospital fees fell on the thin shoulders of this hard-working man. Mr. Tien was both father and mother, staying by his son’s side day and night in the hospital, taking care of his every meal and sleep.

Whenever Minh Khoi’s health was stable, the father and son returned to the small rented room to save money. There, the son’s soft cough and the father’s sighs blended together in the long, restless nights. From there, love and the will to live were rekindled.

Without the help of relatives, Mr. Pham Minh Tien cannot work a regular job. Whenever his son's health is stable, he tries to do all kinds of jobs - from construction worker, porter to seasonal jobs - as long as he can pay for the rent, medicine and daily meals. However, the meager salary is nothing compared to the increasing cost of treatment.

For nearly 10 years, Mr. Tien has not yet paid back the 300 million VND he borrowed for his son’s first surgery. Every time Khoi relapses, the cost of treatment skyrockets, making his already difficult life even more difficult.

“There were days when my child had a high fever and convulsions, and I didn’t have a few tens of thousands left in my pocket. I could only hold my child and cry. As a father, I felt so helpless when I couldn’t even take care of my child ,” Mr. Tien shared, his eyes red.

Not being able to go to school like his peers, Minh Khoi spent most of his life in the hospital.

Each drop of the father's tears fell on the pale face of the 10-year-old boy lying motionless on the old folding bed in the middle of the cold rented room. The life of father and son now narrowed within four walls, where Mr. Tien both did housework and helped his son exercise. Every day, he patiently massaged his son's small legs, hoping that one day his son would be able to stand up and walk even just a few short steps.

With a heavy sigh, Mr. Tien said: " There was a deadlock, there was also despair, but I told myself not to give up, because Minh Khoi only had me by his side. I could not give up when my child still needed me. Every time my child got sick, I ran everywhere to borrow money from relatives and friends. I appreciated anyone who could help me a little ."

At the age of ten, while his peers were going to school and playing on the playground, Minh Khoi was stuck in the hospital and a small rented room. The boy spoke little, only occasionally smiling when his father returned - that innocent smile was the only source of motivation that kept Tien standing firm in the midst of stormy days.

Every day that passes, the father still quietly trades his sweat, strength, even his health in exchange for each weak breath of his child. Behind that are piles of debt, unpaid hospital bills and countless worries about what tomorrow will bring. For Mr. Tien, as long as his child is healthy, as long as Khoi is less painful, all the hardship becomes worthwhile.

When asked about his future dreams, Mr. Tien was silent for a long time. His eyes were red, his voice trembling: “I don’t dare to think too far ahead, I just hope my child’s health improves day by day. Only then can I feel secure going to work to pay for hospital fees and medicine for him. I feel guilty about the many debts I have not paid, but now I can only try my best every day.”

Mr. Vo Duyen, Head of Ward 6, Duong Dong ( An Giang province) - where Mr. Tien's family registered their household - said this is a particularly difficult case in the locality.

“ The government has tried to support and encourage Mr. Tien’s family to treat Khoi. However, this is a disease that requires long-term treatment and high costs, so we hope that benefactors will join hands to help so that Khoi can have better treatment conditions and soon stabilize his health ,” Mr. Duyen shared.

These appeals not only come from compassion, but also from the belief that sharing - no matter how small - can light up hope for a father and son struggling in adversity. In the midst of a harsh life, the love of the community is the guiding light that helps Tien and Minh Khoi continue walking, believing that there is still a warmer tomorrow ahead.

Hopefully, with the help of kind-hearted people, Minh Khoi will have more opportunities to live a healthy life and go to school like his peers; and his resilient father will feel a little better, so he can continue his journey full of love and determination.

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