Looking at the baby, many mothers in room 608, Children’s Blood Disease Department, National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion could not hold back their tears.
When I came to work at the ward, a nurse showed me a photo taken on her phone. She looked like a skeleton.
The nurse said: “This is the first time in my life I have seen such a child. I was just admitted to the hospital this morning, sister. See if anyone can help me?
When I came in, the baby was being tested, and when I came back, he was gone. I cannot describe the feelings of love for the baby that welled up inside me. The baby lay there, dreamily sleeping, his head exposed to a skeleton, veins of blood running crookedly across his forehead. Big eyes look aimlessly every time they open. Every now and then, one of my arms would reach up and reach into the air. My forearm is only as small as an adult’s thumb.
My name is Hua Van Dung, born on October 18, 2010 in Team 8, Na Bo village, Tho Binh commune, Lam Binh, Tuyen Quang. Dung is of Tay ethnicity, his father left to work far away in the Central Highlands and did not pay any attention to Dung.
Recently, after the family’s constant urging, Dung’s father sent back 2 million VND, so Na Thi Nhich and her mother had the money to take Dung to Hanoi for treatment on the advice of a relative.
Ms. Nhich said: When born, Dung was as normal as any other child, although a little underweight (2.7kg). But the more he grew up, the more abnormal Dung became, he didn’t seem to grow, his skin was pale, and his appetite was poor.
When Dung was 6 months old, his belly was big and he had a high fever. His family took him to the doctor and found out he had a swollen spleen. After that, he received a blood transfusion at the provincial hospital and got better and was able to eat.
Since then, Dung has received blood transfusions 3 times because his family did not have money so he had to leave him like that without further blood transfusions.
The last time Dung received a blood transfusion was in August 2011. After that, he only stayed at home to treat herbal medicine and burn lamps on the spleen at the traditional healer.
As she spoke, Ms. Nhich exposed her baby’s belly to show me the traces of burning the lamp. Now, my belly is no longer big, my spleen is not swollen, but my stomach is sunken. Above, the ribs protrude piece by piece, the protruding sternum stings the hearts of witnesses.
“Why didn’t you take me to the hospital early and leave it like this?”. “Because my family doesn’t have the means, money for medical examination, food and accommodation… where will I get it?” Dung’s mother is ethnic, so she doesn’t speak Kinh clearly, only answering when I ask.
Now Ms. Nhich is 6 months pregnant, her belly is overbearing but she still has to carry the baby and take care of it.
Dung lay there, his mother bought him a box of milk and occasionally let him suck on it. The small head turned slightly to listen to me talk, and the hand waved.
“Do you know anything?”. “I don’t understand, sister. He can’t even speak, he can’t even walk. If he weren’t so sick, he would still sit and eat porridge.” “Self-touching?”. “Yes, I asked to scoop it up, but I won’t let my mom scoop it up. Lately, I haven’t been able to eat. I’m so tired that I lie down all the time.”
When I was there, many people stood around, looking at her so pitifully. All the mothers said: Poor thing, why did you end up like that? Ms. Hien, a mother taking care of a child with leukemia, said: “I think my situation is already miserable, but my child is fuller and more complete than this baby.”
At home, Nhich went to work on the farm, leaving the children in the care of his younger sister.
My aunt just let Dung lie there, do whatever he wants, and only feed him when it’s time for dinner. Courageous like a living tree climbing through the day. My paternal family is in Bac Can, mother and daughter live separately in a house near my grandmother’s house, but she is also very poor and cannot help.
Her husband went to work far away and sent Ms. Nhich 2 million VND back. Now her train fare and hospital fees are over 1 million. With a little money left, Ms. Nhich doesn’t know how she will take care of her child. Talking about this, Ms. Nhich said: “I just hope to have some money to treat my child’s illness.”
Talking to us, doctor Ha Thi Sen said: “As Dung’s family said, her spleen is enlarged. An enlarged spleen has many causes, but my main condition today is severe malnutrition. Malnutrition also causes anemia and the child may have comorbidities.
Currently, Dung needs to do tests and wait for the results, from there, we will have a specific treatment regimen. In the near future, I will receive a blood transfusion.”
