Thuy's dream: Full of love for sick children

Beauties and Tuoi Tre newspaper give gifts to sick children at Ho Chi Minh City Children's Hospital - Photo: THANH HIEP

The delegation arrived at the Children's Hospital of Ho Chi Minh City (Binh Chanh District), where Ms. Le Thi Tuyet Linh (45 years old) was patting her daughter's back while she slept on the hospital bed, tears streaming down her face. At 18 months old, baby Dinh Ngoc Chau (Ms. Linh's daughter) had bone marrow cancer.

Receiving so many gifts, I am so happy. This Tet I may not be able to go home but having my mother here and Tet cakes is enough for me.

HUY HOANG (13 years old, leukemia patient, Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital)

Mother's heart

Since her youngest child got sick for more than three months, Ms. Linh had to quit her job to take her child to Ho Chi Minh City for treatment. After the course of medicine, the mother and child took the train back to their hometown in Ninh Thuan . Already poor, the family now struggled even more.

Chau's father, who was born deaf, now has to support the family by working as a construction worker or doing whatever other jobs he can find. Chau has a 5-year-old sister who is in kindergarten.

Chau still can’t sit up, just babbles the words “mom and dad”. The tiny baby with pale skin sleeps soundly in her mother’s arms. Chau’s mother said that after the first chemotherapy treatment, because her body was too small to handle it, Chau stopped breathing.

Immediately, the girl was given emergency care, intubated and put on a ventilator for nearly a month before she was stable and allowed to go home.

Three days later, the infusion had to continue, but this time, the liver enzymes were found to be too high, so the priority was given to treating the liver enzymes first, so the medication was delayed for two months. Feeling sorry for the little girl, the neighbors each contributed a couple hundred to three hundred for the mother and child each time they took the bus or train to Saigon for treatment. When they got there, fortunately, there were some more benefactors who gave a little money to pay for the hospital fees and treatment for the little girl.

On the morning of January 15, receiving a gift from Tet Sharing including cakes, milk and a lucky money envelope of 500,000 VND, Ms. Linh said happily and thanked the program: "I am very happy to receive the gift, I will bring the cakes home for my two children, and also save on transportation costs."

Ms. Nguyen Thi Lien (from Binh Dinh) stayed at the shelter to take care of her son Huy Hoang (13 years old) who has leukemia and is being treated at the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital. Her son is seriously ill and their home is far away, so she applied for a job as a kitchen assistant in the city to earn money to pay for her son's treatment.

She said that when her son got sick, the father had to leave the mother and son, causing the family's finances to be exhausted. The mother had to borrow money everywhere to pay for her son's treatment. Receiving the gift, she said she felt more motivated to continue accompanying her son to overcome his illness. Her son could not hide his excitement when he opened the gift.

Artist Binh Minh gives gifts to pediatric patients at Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital – Photo: TTD

Hope the sick children have a warm Tet holiday

Doctor CKI Nguyen Quoc Vu Khanh - Deputy Head of General Planning Department (Blood Transfusion - Hematology Hospital) - thanked Tuoi Tre newspaper for organizing the program of giving Tet gifts to children with cancer.

He said that some children have to be treated throughout Tet, so such gifts partly encourage their spirit and give them faith in life, which is good for their treatment process.

Also participating in giving gifts to four hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City were Miss Universe Vietnam 2023 Bui Quynh Hoa, 1st runner-up Miss Universe Vietnam 2024 Nguyen Quynh Anh, Miss Peace Vietnam 2022 Tran Thi Ban Mai, runner-up Thuy Dung, and singers and artists Toc Tien, Minh Hang, Pham Quynh Anh, Misthy, Bui Lan Huong, Mlee, Thuy Linh, Trinh Thao, Binh Minh.

Miss Tran Thi Ban Mai said she always tries to arrange her time at the end of the year to participate in charity activities. She has accompanied Tuoi Tre newspaper in a number of events such as Pho Day and School Support, but this is the first time she has given gifts to children with cancer at the hospital.

"I am happy to be able to share a part, to help bring a warm Tet to the less fortunate children," said Miss Ban Mai, and hopes to participate in other activities of Tuoi Tre.

Meanwhile, the representative of the group "Beautiful Sister Pedaling the Wind" 2024 participated in giving gifts at Children's Hospital 2, singer Toc Tien shared that not only her but anyone who received the invitation would find it difficult to refuse the humane meaning of programs like this.

The singer expressed: "With the spirit of leaving no one behind, I hope these meaningful activities will bring children and their families a warm Tet atmosphere, reducing the feeling of loneliness when having to celebrate Tet away from home."

Handing each gift to the children at the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital, actor Binh Minh was moved: "Honestly, I feel sorry for the children but I feel even more sorry for their parents. I hope this small gift will give them and their families more motivation to overcome this difficult time, and I hope there will be more kind-hearted people joining hands to help the children."

4.5 billion VND of "Sharing Tet"

The “Tet Chia” 2025 program, implemented by Tuoi Tre newspaper and Ho Chi Minh City Youth Union, is expected to give about 4,600 gifts to students in flood-hit areas, children with cancer, poor children and workers in difficult circumstances. The total cost of 4.5 billion VND is contributed by Tuoi Tre newspaper readers.

Of these, 3,000 gifts (VND3 billion) were given to students, 100 gifts (VND200 million) were given to teachers in flood-affected areas, 1,000 gifts were given to children with cancer under the program “Thuy’s Dream” (VND800 million) and 500 gifts were given to workers in especially difficult circumstances (VND650 million). Each gift included a gift and a lucky money envelope.

"Acquaintance" of the program "Thuy's Dream"

Ms. Nguyen Thi Dinh (35 years old, from Binh Phuoc ) said that she has not heard anything from the doctor so perhaps her child will not be able to come home for Tet this year. Last year was the same, but she feels warm because for the past few years, every year her child has received gifts from Tuoi Tre newspaper.

“This gift is very meaningful to my family as well as other sick children. The children are happier and we, the parents, have more motivation to fight with them.” Bao (Ms. Dinh’s child) smiled and said: “Every year, the uncles and aunts come to give gifts, I am very happy. There are candies, jams, and lucky money envelopes, I love it!”

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/uoc-mo-cua-thuy-yeu-thuong-dong-day-cho-benh-nhi-20250117224342709.htm