35-year-old Tran Van Luc and his wife from Da Nang’s Thanh Khe District are in desperate need of financial assistance to cover the cost of medical treatment for their 3-year-old son Tran Dang Tuan who has blood cancer.

One month ago, Tuan’s cheeks were swollen and he had a light fever.  He was examined at a local private clinic and its doctors diagnosed that he was infected with mumps.  Several days later, the little boy’s health had not improved at all and he had itchy rashes on his body.

Tuan in the hospital

He was then admitted to the city’s Paediatric and Maternity Hospital for treatment.  After a blood test, doctors at the hospital detected that Tuan was likely to have blood cancer.  To confirm their diagnosis, samples of his bone marrow were sent to the medical laboratory of a large hospital in Ho Chi Minh City for testing.  Unfortunately, the result of the test showed that Tuan did indeed have this life-threatening disease, which shocked and deeply saddened his parents.

Tuan is now being treated in the Da Nang hospital and, although he used to be an active boy, he is not able to physically move.  The doctors at the hospital say that he requires more drug infusions, costing 20 million VND each, to save his life. 

Mr Luc works as a tailor and makes clothes at home whilst his wife is a low salaried worker at the city’s 29 March Textiles and Garments Company.  The couple’s monthly income cannot cover their son’s medical treatment costs, and in any case Tuan’s mother has just left her job in order to spend more time taking care of him.

Donations for the ill-fated boy can be sent to the Da Nang Newspaper, 42 Tran Phu Street, Da Nang (Phone: 0511 3812341 and 0905832222)  or to Mr Luc’s address K52/28 Ly Thai Tong Street, Thanh Khe Tay Ward, Thanh Khe District (Phone: 0976 401 981).