The family of 43-year-old Nguyen Thi Thuy Nhung hailing from Quang Nam Province’s Dien Ban Town has gone through tough days full of financial hardship after she underwent emergency surgery due to type A aortic dissection.

Nhung undergoing medical treatment at the Da Nang General Hospital

Dr Do Thi Bao Van from the Interventional Cardiovascular Unit in the Da Nang General Hospital, who directly treated Nhung, said that Mrs Nhung was hospitalised on 3 November for chest tightness, shortness of breath and fatigue.

Mrs Nhung was diagnosed with type A aortic dissection after undergoing Ultrasound imaging and Computed Tomography Angiography. As a result, doctors performed emergency surgical intervention to save her life.

Currently, the patient is stable and vital signs are within normal limits, but she needs further treatment in order to improve her respiratory and infection prevention capacity before being discharged from hospital.

Tran Anh, Nhung’s husband, said they have a total of 6 children. Their oldest child is working in Ho Chi Minh City. Their family’s financial hardship forced two middle children to quit school and work for a living to support their parents raise the remaining 3 school-aged siblings.

The poor couple and their children are now living in a small downgraded house with seriously damaged sheet-metal roof. Anh and his wife earn for living by raking for mussels.

Recent devastating floods and his wife’s illness have been dealing a staggering blow to the livelihood of his family.  

Anh said in tears that whilst caring for her sick wife at the hospital, he mainly relied on free-of-charge meals offered by local philanthropies. If his wife continues receiving treatment in the hospital, his family cannot afford hospital charges.

Mr Anh is now desperately in need of financial aid to pay for his wife’s medical costs, and to cover the family’s living expenses in the coming time, and especially, assist his 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 Nguyen Thi Thuy Nhung”. Readers can also contact directly Nhung's husband on 0702033828.

By MAI HIEN - Translated by M.D