Meeting the sick boy again, who wished to become a firefighter.

Gặp lại cậu bé bị bệnh, ước làm lính cứu hỏa — *Little Tran Dang Trung Quan was thrilled to experience a day as a firefighter in August 2023 at Children's Hospital 2, Ho Chi Minh City – Photo: Provided by the hospital.*

I met Quân again when his mother, Ms. Đặng Thị Kim Loan (46 years old, residing in Củ Chi district), brought him for a follow-up check-up. Quân looked healthier, innocently smiling and proudly showing off that he had just returned to first grade.

A Day in the Life of a Firefighter

At 6:40 a.m., in the pouring rain, Ms. Loan went to submit her medical records. While waiting for her son's turn, she once again poured out her heart after a year and a half of battling illness with him. In early 2023, Quan was in first grade in his maternal grandparents' hometown of Binh Thuan .

Working as a factory worker in Ho Chi Minh City, she visited her son and noticed several large bruises on his arms, but thought it was just from him playing around at school. Unexpectedly, Quân became weak and tired, so she took him to Ho Chi Minh City for examination and was devastated to learn that he had acute myeloid leukemia.

The mother's heart ached terribly. She took time off from work and, since Quân was hospitalized in April 2023, she has stayed in the treatment ward to care for her son. During the days Quân received medication, she stayed awake all night watching over him. Seeing her son, who weighed only 20kg at the time, with all his hair gone, his skin darkened, and lying listlessly, she shed tears countless times.

Despite his pain and sadness, Quân remained very obedient and loving towards his mother. His mother recounted, "He had a bright future within him. He kept telling me he wanted to grow up to be a firefighter and save lives." Coincidentally, the Fire Prevention and Rescue Police Department (PC07) of the Ho Chi Minh City Police – which often organizes firefighting experience programs for children – learned about Quân's dream.

Captain Do Ngoc Duc, who was then the secretary of the Youth Union of PC07, recounted that he immediately proposed making the girl's dream a reality.

He shared: “My teammates and I were very worried and anxious about whether Quân's health would be safe enough to participate in the experience. On the morning of August 4, 2023, with the support of doctors and nurses from the Children's Hospital, the experiential activity went smoothly and safely.”

Loan vividly remembers that morning when Quân was instructed in basic procedures and joined the firefighters in carrying out their duties, spraying fire extinguishers… Observing Quân in his dark blue uniform and red firefighter's hat, everyone commented that he was lively and quick to learn. Loan's eyes shone with pride as her son's beautiful dream came true, even if only for a day.

Quân was the first child patient that the unit visited the hospital to organize an experiential learning session for. "After that session, Quân was more cheerful and healthier. My colleagues and I were happy to bring a smile to his face," said Đức.

Loan kept repeating, "It seems like after that meal, my son's condition improved. Before, there were times when Quân was very weak, unable to eat orally, and people advised us to prepare ourselves. He said he didn't want to die, he wanted to live with his mother..."

While caring for her child, the mother discovered she also had cancer.

Currently, Loan and her son are renting a room on Provincial Road 43 in Cu Chi District. Buying Quan another steamed bun, and watching him eat, she is reminded of her difficult past.

Having finished fifth grade, and being the eldest of eight siblings, she would climb the mountain every night to collect coal, carrying it back to sell. Even now, she still feels her life is as treacherous as a road with a mountain on one side and a ravine on the other; letting go means falling.

She got married and had a child. Quân was born in 2016. Since she was young, she suffered from heart failure, and due to financial difficulties, she could only afford medication. Taking care of Quân, she often couldn't sleep, her chest ached, and she had to ask the other nurses in the ward to massage her back to ease the pain.

Little did she know that this was when her cancer worsened, and she couldn't breathe when lying down due to fluid buildup. The left side of her neck swelled up, and the lump felt hard and heavy, like a stone.

When advised to see a doctor, she tearfully said, "Where would I get the money for a check-up? It might reveal a serious illness." Only after being warned that someone might take care of her child if something went wrong did she agree to go to the Oncology Hospital for an examination. She recounted, "The biopsy results showed I had metastatic thyroid cancer. Holding the paper, I cried uncontrollably."

She wanted to live to take care of her child. Upon returning home, she couldn't hold back her tears when she learned that her son had gone alone to the Buddha statue, clasped his hands, and prayed: "Everyone who sees my mother and me feels sorry for us. Please help us raise money for the surgery." Seeing Quân bowing and praying, everyone was moved to tears.

The overwhelming pain became unbearable. After Quân was discharged from the hospital, she sent her child to her mother's house to look after, and went through the surgery alone last October, followed by a second surgery in early November.

Looking at his mother through the phone screen, Quan cried, "Mom, are you okay? I miss you so much, Mom!" She will be undergoing radiation therapy again soon. "Now, when I do strenuous work or think too much, my head aches intensely, and sometimes I have memory lapses," she confided.

Hoping for a miracle.

Both mother and son are battling a terrible disease, but instead of lamenting their cruel fate, they rely on each other, kindling a light in their own lives. Quân's nickname is Sáng (meaning "bright"). Loan says that every time she calls out "Sáng ơi," she feels a glimmer of hope.

His mother's boundless love and the care of those around him helped Quân recover somewhat. During a recent check-up, he weighed 34kg; he's chubby and everyone feels sorry for him.

Feeling sorry for her son, Quân, whose school year was interrupted last year, Ms. Loan recently enrolled him in a Catholic school so he wouldn't be so lonely and could have friends. "These past few days I've been practicing tracing lines. I like learning Vietnamese and I always memorize the lessons in class," Quân said with a smile, his small hand turning the pages of his notebook filled with purple tracing.

To make ends meet, Loan wakes up at 4 a.m. every day. While her child is still asleep, she rides her bicycle selling lottery tickets. At 5:30 a.m., she returns home to prepare her child for school, then continues selling until noon before returning home to feed her child. If there are still tickets left, she goes out again in the afternoon, regardless of the weather.

There was a time when, despite being seriously ill, she would wake up at 1 AM to cycle to the wholesale market to earn money for her son. On the deserted road late at night, the mother felt no fear, only hoping to sell 200 lottery tickets each day. Later, realizing that if she were to fall ill, who would take care of Quân, she stopped selling late at night.

Throughout the story, she kept glancing at her son. Quan hugged his mother and asked if she was tired. He broke a steamed bun into small pieces and fed it to her. When they took his blood, Quan winced slightly, but after the examination, he said, "It doesn't hurt today, Mom."

She patted Quân's back and massaged his hands: "Poor thing. He's been going to school, but his hands have been cramping and he has bronchitis for the past few days. When he's writing, it hurts and his hands cramp, so the teacher has to massage them for him for a while."

Thinking about the road ahead, Loan's tears fell again. At times, she had suicidal thoughts, wondering if she should just take her child and end her life. But then she calmed down.

Deep down, she knew her child was like a young sapling, capable of miracles and wonders. So whatever her child craved or wanted to do, she tried her best to make him happy. Quân liked chicken, sausages, snails, and the sour soup his mother cooked.

The rain continued to pour down as the mother and daughter walked home hand in hand. It seemed as if the rain carried the sound of sobs for two insignificant souls caught in the storms of life. Just a little while longer, and the sun would shine again…

What warmed her heart the most was that Quân not only loved his mother but also thought of others. On the day of the donation drive for those affected by Typhoon No. 3, he took the 40,000 dong his mother had given him for a few days from school to contribute. Quân proudly showed it to his mother, smiling happily because he had done something meaningful.

On March 9, 2024, the Youth Union of PC07 organized a "One Day as a Firefighter" experiential training session for over 300 students, and Trung Quan was also present. The unit donated 10 million VND to support his studies.

"We often keep in touch to inquire about Quân's health and treatment. We hope he remains optimistic in fighting his illness and overcoming difficulties to become a strong and capable firefighter," Captain Đỗ Ngọc Đức shared.

A Day in the Life of a Firefighter

While caring for her child, the mother discovered she also had cancer.

Hoping for a miracle.

Comment (0)