Every Tet (traditional Vietnamese Lunar New Year) holiday, many volunteer clubs and philanthropists across Da Nang bring joy to cancer patients to encourage their spirit, help them have confidence in their treatment journey, and share the difficulties they face.

The Da Nang General Hospital’s medical staff are putting sets of donated hair on the heads of cancer patients with the hoped of bringing joy and somewhat easing the pain that cancer patients are having to deal with every day.

During the recent Tet (traditional Vietnamese Lunar New Year) festival, the ‘Hieu and Thuong’ (Understanding and Love) Urgent Blood Donation Club, in collaboration with donors, organised a programme at the Da Nang Oncology Hospital during which 200 gifts with a total value of more than VND 80 million were given  to patients in especially difficult circumstances.

The club also organised a zero-VND fair with 21 booths and 1,000 free shopping vouchers exclusively for patients and their families to buy essential items such as blankets, quilts, food and household items.

In addition, 136 gifts worth a total of VND 57.3 million were given to pediatric patients at the Da Nang Hospital for Women and Children, and in a similar vein, 150 gifts worth a total of VND 60 million went to pediatric patients at the Quang Nam Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital, and 70 gifts worth VND 28.2 million were given to patients at the Quang Nam General Hospital.

“Our biggest wish is to help patients feel that they are always cared for and loved. We hope that these gifts and activities will create joy so that patients will be excited, receive better treatment, and be discharged from the hospital to return to their beloved families soon,” said Mr. Tran Phuoc Hung, the Head of the club.

For the past 5 years, Le Thi Diem My, 19, Duy Xuyen District, Quang Nam Province has been treated for lymphoma at the Department of Internal Medicine 3, the Da Nang Oncology Hospital and has undergone 5 surgeries to remove the affected lymph nodes. This year’s Tet, with the support from benefactors and the hospital’s Social Work Department, she had more joy and motivation in life.

“I am very happy to receive everyone’s attention, gifts and Tet activities like this help me have more motivation to continue disease treatment.”, said My.

ALang Hai Quan, 7, is being treated for Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (a rare genetic immunodeficiency disorder) at the Department of General Pediatrics, the Da Nang Hospital for Women and Children.
Each month, her treatment costs range from VND9.3 million to VND13.5 million.

Mr. ALang ARat, the father of ALang Hai Quan, shared: “My family has two children, but the first child died in 2016 due to bone marrow cancer. ALang Hai Quan is the only hope of the family. Thanks to the support from the hospital’s Social Work Department and sponsors, my family’s difficulties have been somewhat relived. The gifts we received are motivation for the family as we have more money to buy medicine and cover expenses during Tet holidays”.

Not only the ‘Understanding and Love’ Urgent Blood Donation  Club, this Tet, many units, organisations and benefactors came to hospitals to organise activities to give Spring gifts and take free Tet photos with cancer patients with the hope of bringing them a more bustling and joyful atmosphere.

This year, with the support of benefactors, the Association for the Support of Poor Women and Children in Da Nang presented 60 gifts worth VND30 million in total to patients in especially difficult circumstances at the Da Nang Hospital for Women and Children and the Da Nang Oncology Hospital.

As a bridge between patients and volunteer groups for many years, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thanh Tra, the Head of Nursing Department of the Da Nang Oncology Hospital, said: “The patients here all face serious illnesses, long treatment times and very expensive costs. In addition to treatment, the spirit of cancer patients also needs attention. We hope that there will be more clubs that care, not only materially but also spiritually, to help comfort and bring joy and aspiration to life to patients in difficult circumstances”.

Reporting by DOAN LUONG, KIM ANH - Translating by A.THU