What a pitiful life story...!

For several years now, the life of Mr. Kieu Ngoc Thu (born in 1964, residing in Nhut Long hamlet, Vam Co commune, Tay Ninh province) has no longer been measured in time, but rather in repeated hospitalizations and fortunate eventualities. He suffered from epilepsy since he was young, facing danger many times. According to Ms. Kieu Thi Vung (Mr. Thu's sister), in 2018, Mr. Thu had a very severe seizure, after which he could no longer walk on his own and required assistance with personal activities.

Ms. Kieu Thi Vung meticulously cares for her sick younger brother, Mr. Kieu Ngoc Thu, ensuring he has enough to eat and sleep.

Unable to bear the sight of her sick younger brother living with their elderly father in a dilapidated house that flooded every time the water rose due to its proximity to the Vam Co River, Mrs. Vung took him into her home to care for him. Mrs. Vung sadly recounted Mr. Thu's situation: "His wife left him a long time ago, and he has one child who is not as healthy as others; at 36 years old, he's only a little over 1 meter tall and his health isn't good. I don't have my own family, so I took him in to help him as much as I could."

As he got older, Mr. Thu's seizures became more frequent. In recent years, he has also suffered from other ailments such as cystitis, orchitis, and sequelae from a stroke. After undergoing a suprapubic cystostomy, he occasionally gets infections. As a result, his health has rapidly deteriorated. "Being bedridden for so long has caused his limbs to contract, even though I massage and stretch them every day, it doesn't help anymore. Even with medication, he still often has seizures. I've been taking care of him for so long that I'm used to it; each time it happens, I can tell whether it's mild or severe just by looking at his face, especially his eyes, and take him to the hospital. Normally, the seizures stop after a few minutes," said Mrs. Vung, while cleaning the skin ulcers on Mr. Thu's back.

Currently, in addition to the cost of medication, food, and daily living expenses, she also has to replace her urinary catheter every two weeks at a cost of about 300,000 VND per replacement. This doesn't even include emergency hospitalizations due to wound infections or severe epileptic seizures. With so many daily expenses accumulating over many years, Mrs. Vung's monthly pension is simply insufficient.

Whenever Mr. Thu was hospitalized, Mrs. Vung stayed by his side, staying up all night worrying about him. She cared for her brother with all her love, seeing it as a way to compensate for the hardships he had endured in life, like a parent would. There were afternoons when Mrs. Vung would sit beside him, supporting him so he could have a good nap.

In Mrs. Vung's small house in Phu Nhon neighborhood, Long An ward, Mr. Thu's life is being sustained by the love of his sister, who is over 70 years old. Illness may wear down his health, but it cannot sever the bond of family. Mr. Thu's body suffers daily from the pain of his illness, but his eyes hold so much he wants to say but cannot utter a word. Hearing Mrs. Vung's words, "My brother's soul is trapped in his sick, wasting body," is heartbreaking…

Mr. Kieu Ngoc Thu and his sister, Kieu Thi Vung, are in dire need of assistance from readers and benefactors. All contributions to support Mr. Kieu Ngoc Thu can be sent to the Tay Ninh Provincial Red Cross Society - No. 3, Vo Cong Ton Street, Long An Ward, Tay Ninh Province.

Alternatively, you can donate money via bank account number: 6600139397979 - Agribank Long An branch. Account holder: Tay Ninh Provincial Red Cross Society.

Yen Mai

Source: https://baotayninh.vn/thuong-mot-canh-doi-140607.html