Having just escaped from poverty for more than 3 years, the family of 24-year-old Huynh Thi Kim Yen residing on Dong Ke Street, Hoa Khanh Bac Ward, Lien Chieu District, Da Nang, is now managing to go through tough days full of hardship and sadness since her steady breadwinner husband suddenly suffered from meningitis.

Yen is taking care of her husband at home

Yen’s small house is no longer filled with laugh during dinner after a day’ work hard as previously when her family was dealt an unexpected blow. Her husband, 26-year-old Dinh Van Khoa, was diagnosed with meningitis in May and lost his ability to work as a result. For the time being, all living expenses and medical treatment costs for Khoa are covered by Yen’s low monthly income: only 4 million VND. 

Previously, the married couple earned a total of 11 million VND per month, much of which is spent on caring for Khoa’s elderly mother and their 3-year-old child. At that time, Khoa worked as a taxi driver, whilst Yen worked for a nail salon.

When Covid-19 broke out, like other shops nationwide, Yen’s nail salon was forced to shut down, and Khoa made money by repairing electrical equipment to cover his family’s living expenses. In the wake of the lifting of the pandemic-forced nationwide social distancing restrictions, Khoa intended to return to work, but he suddenly became ill. This unexpected, devastating incident indeed shocked and deeply saddened the needy woman.

Khoa received medical treatment in the Da Nang General Hospital for meningitis. After 20 days of treatment, Mr Khoa was discharged from hospital so as to partly ease the burden of the hospital fees. Recently, Khoa has suffered from severe neck cramps, back pain and insomnia.

Yen said in tears that whilst caring for her sick husband at the hospital she mainly relied on free-of-charge meals offered by local philanthropies. Her husband’s health did not improve well as expected, but if he continues receiving treatment in the hospital, her family cannot have enough money to pay for hospital fees.

The family’s Yen is now desperately in need of financial aid to pay for her husband’s treatment costs, and to cover the family’s living expenses in the coming time, and especially, assist her school-aged kid to continue with his academic dream.

Donations can be sent to the Da Nang Newspaper, 33 Le Loi, Da Nang (Phone: 0236 3812341 and 0905832222) or account No 100214851000415 at the Da Nang branch of the Viet Nam Import-Export Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Eximbank) (Please write “Donations to the Family of Huynh Thi Kim Yen”.

By TRAN KHANG- Translated by A.T