Unhappy childhood
Late in the afternoon, following the salt fields, through each winding alley, asking around, we finally found the house of mother and child Ho Thi Tu Anh (20 years old, living in Nghia Bac village, Quynh Nghia commune, Quynh Luu, Nghe An ). From the yard, we could hear the sound of a baby crying, the mother's lullaby.
Seeing her daughter crying but no longer having the strength to hold her, Tu Anh struggled to get up, leaned against the wall, turned her haggard, tired face towards her daughter and sighed helplessly.
"The distance from where I am to the hammock where my daughter lies is only a few steps, but why does it seem so distant and difficult to me now? I want to go to her side to hold her in my arms, comfort her, and play with her, but I don't have the strength anymore.
My fate is so unfortunate, I was abandoned by my mother on the side of the road right after birth, and at 13 I got cancer. I don't know how much longer I have to live. I just feel sorry for my 5-month-old child who has to endure so many hardships. I'm sorry for having to be the child of a sick person like me," Tu Anh choked up.
While she was busy preparing dinner in the kitchen, hearing her granddaughter crying, Mrs. Ho Thi Chau (58 years old, Tu Anh's adoptive mother) quickly wiped her wet hands on her shirt, brought the bowl of porridge that had just been mashed up to the house to feed her granddaughter. Seemingly very hungry, little Truong Thi Khanh Nhi (5 months old, Tu Anh's daughter) lay quietly on the bed, eating deliciously. After eating her fill, the child fell asleep in her grandmother's arms.
Her mother had cancer, so since birth, Nhi had to drink formula milk. For over a month now, without money to buy regular milk, Mrs. Chau had to drain rice water, cook pureed porridge and feed her baby.
Mrs. Chau said her father was a martyr. When she was 9 years old, her mother got married. She lived here and there, sometimes with her grandparents, sometimes with her mother and stepfather.
At the age of 26, Ms. Chau got married and had been pregnant once but had a miscarriage. With a burning desire to become a mother, she and her husband saved up every penny they could, and borrowed more money to pay for infertility treatment. However, her wish still did not come true.
"I still remember, on the afternoon of November 25, 2003, on the way to the Vinh City Maternal and Child Health Center for infertility treatment, I heard a baby crying on the side of the road. Approaching, I discovered a newborn baby abandoned under a tree with a few pieces of clothing. I called out to everyone around and then carried the baby to a nearby hospital for care," Ms. Chau recalled.
Thinking that fate had brought her to meet the abandoned child, Mrs. Chau earnestly asked and completed the adoption procedures. And from then on, Tu Anh was taken in by Mrs. Chau to be cared for.
When Tu Anh was only 6 months old, Mrs. Chau and her husband divorced. The husband later had a new family. Since then, the mother and daughter have lived alone together. Although she did not bear the child, this woman always considered Tu Anh as her own child.
When Tu Anh was 13 years old, she discovered that Tu Anh had a tumor the size of a chicken egg on her back. Mrs. Chau took her daughter to the doctor and was shocked to find out that her daughter had soft tissue sarcoma. Tu Anh dropped out of school and instead spent her days wandering around hospitals to "fight" the disease and fight for her life.
"As an abandoned child, Tu Anh is very smart and understanding. When she was diagnosed with the disease, Tu Anh cried and held my hand, begging, "Mom, don't leave me." I took her to Hanoi for treatment. The disease later spread to her spine. I borrowed money everywhere to have enough 130 million VND to replace her spine. So for many years, my life as a mother and I was stuck in the hospital," said Ms. Chau.
The 270-day journey of a mother with cancer fighting for her life to give birth
Talking about getting pregnant and giving birth while suffering from cancer, Tu Anh said, 2 years ago, through some friends, she met and got to know Truong Van L. (22 years old, from a neighboring village). Sympathizing with her situation, the two became close and developed feelings for each other.
"Because my children's health was very weak, I was afraid that if they exceeded the limit, it would have unpredictable consequences, so I tried to stop them and advised them to keep their distance from each other. But then what I was most worried about happened, my daughter was pregnant, and when she found out, the fetus was already 3 months old," said Ms. Chau.
The doctor said Tu Anh's health was very weak, the disease had metastasized, if she became pregnant it would threaten the lives of both mother and child. Mrs. Chau advised her daughter many times to abort the baby to continue treatment. However, Tu Anh refused, begging at all costs to keep the baby.
"I want to be a mother. I want my child to be my mother's support in the future. My mother has suffered all her life because of me. I am her only support. If I die, my mother will be very lonely. This is the only thing I can do for my mother," Tu Anh said.
Since learning she was pregnant, Tu Anh refused all treatment regimens in the hope that her baby would be born healthy. During the first 5 months, despite the constant pain, Tu Anh did not take any painkillers but gritted her teeth and endured.
In the sixth month, the doctor discovered that the disease had metastasized, with a tumor in her kidney. Because of the continuous pain and her increasingly weak health, Tu Anh was transferred to a provincial hospital for monitoring.
At 29 weeks pregnant, the doctor advised surgery to keep the fetus in an incubator, otherwise it would be very dangerous for both mother and child. However, fearing that premature birth would greatly affect the health of the baby, Tu Anh asked to keep the baby in her womb until it grew stronger.
"Many days, she had no strength to eat rice or drink milk. Fearing that death was near, Tu Anh asked her mother to buy porridge and then grind it into a thin paste to drink. There were nights when the pain kept her awake, her hands clenched tightly on the hospital bed as if to brace herself against it, but she did not cry once. She was so resilient that it scared me.
On the 273rd day (9 months and 3 days), when I could no longer bear it, I agreed to the surgery. Before going into surgery, the doctor called me in and advised me to prepare myself mentally because the risk was 80%. I was stunned when the doctor said that the risk of both mother and child dying on the operating table was very high because the tumor in the kidney was too large, and I was afraid it would rupture," Ms. Chau said.
But then a miracle happened, baby Nhi was born healthy, weighing 2.9kg. Tu Anh also overcame the critical condition day by day, woke up to see her child.
18 days after giving birth, Tu Anh's kidney tumor ruptured. The doctor ordered immediate surgery but advised the family to prepare mentally because there was no hope. A week after the surgery, Tu Anh was returned to her family to prepare for her funeral because there was no possibility of saving her. But then a miracle happened again, Tu Anh gradually regained consciousness and her health.
"If I die, how will my children live?"
Born in special circumstances, and not being breastfed, Nhi is very obedient and strong. At 5 months, Nhi weighed 6kg, ate well and slept well. Although her health was poor and she could not hold her child often, Tu Anh still sat next to her every day to talk and comfort her. Tu Anh and her child's daily activities depended entirely on her elderly mother.
Sharing with Dan Tri reporter, Mr. Ho Huu Yen, Head of Nghia Bac village (Quynh Nghia commune, Quynh Luu district) said that the life of Mrs. Chau and her children depends on the salt industry. Since Tu Anh got a serious illness, Mrs. Chau has had to take care of her children and grandchildren, making life extremely difficult.
"Poor Mrs. Chau has no children, but has an adopted child. Everyone hopes that she will have support in the future. Unexpectedly, her child is sick and her grandchild is young, making her burden even heavier. The local community and neighbors also support and help, but only a small part. The lives of the three mother and children, grandmother and grandchild, are in dire need of help from kind-hearted people right now," Mr. Yen shared.
Every month, just the cost of Nhi's milk alone costs nearly 5 million VND, not to mention Tu Anh's medicine, daily living expenses... Over the past 7 years, to have money to treat her child, Mrs. Chau has borrowed over 400 million VND. The persistent illness and mounting debt have pushed this unfortunate woman into a dead end.
During the day, she cannot work, but at night, when her children and grandchildren are asleep, Mrs. Chau takes advantage of the opportunity to cut fish for a local animal feed factory. For each hour, she receives 30,000 VND in wages. At best, she can work 2-3 hours each night, earning about 60,000-90,000 VND, which she uses to buy food and milk for her children and grandchildren.
Recently, Tu Anh went for a check-up and the doctor said that she had a tumor in her ovary and advised her to be hospitalized for monitoring and treatment. Thinking of her old and weak mother, who was in debt, and her baby who was thirsty for milk, Tu Anh refused to be hospitalized and saved her money to buy milk for her baby.
When asked about her daughter's father, Tu Anh shared her gratitude. It is known that during her pregnancy, Tu Anh was constantly cared for by her boyfriend. When the child was born, the two registered their marriage to register the child's birth.
"His family is very poor, his parents are old and weak. He doesn't have a stable job, he works as a construction worker here and there. Sometimes he sends money home to buy milk for the children, which makes me happy and comforted. I don't ask for anything but I am still secretly grateful to him because even though he lives far away, he still calls home every day to encourage me and my children," Tu Anh shared.
Carrying a simple dinner tray, Mrs. Chau looked sadly into the distance as she thought about the difficult road ahead. Having suffered many hardships and debts all her life, in her old age, this woman only hopes to have health to survive on vegetables and porridge to raise her children and grandchildren.
Late afternoon, saying goodbye to the unfortunate mother and child, looking up, I still saw Mrs. Chau sitting there, next to the simple meal. One hand held the sleeping grandchild, the other hand slowly fed the child spoonfuls of thin porridge. Tu Anh's whispers still lingered...
"I owe my mother my whole life. Even though we are not related by blood, she takes care of me more than her own flesh and blood. Yet I have never repaid her, and have become a burden to her. I only hope that when my child grows up, he will take my place by her side.
I am not afraid of hardship or pain, I am only afraid of death. Seeing my old mother and young child like this, how can I close my eyes? I hope everyone will have mercy and help me, give me a chance to continue treatment so I can live with my child a little longer," Tu Anh pleaded.
June 14, 2023
Dantri.com.vn
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