Ailing war veteran struggles to care for four mentally ill siblings

Truong Trung Tinh said his family has seven siblings, four of whom, Truong Sy Hoa, 69, Truong Sy Hop, 67, Truong Sy Phi, 64, and Truong Thi Luong, 62, have suffered from mental illness since childhood and cannot work. Luong also has a serious mobility disability.

Tinh enlisted during the war and returned home in 1980. After marrying, he and his elder brother helped their parents care for the ill siblings. When their parents died and his brother grew old and weak, Tinh and his wife assumed full responsibility for the family.

For many years, the couple faced significant hardship as they raised their own children while looking after the four dependent siblings, even as Tinh’s health declined. Although the siblings receive social assistance, the allowance has not been enough to cover daily living and medical expenses.

When Tinh’s children became adults and secured stable jobs, the burden eased somewhat thanks to their support and the monthly subsidy. However, advancing age and deteriorating health have made caregiving increasingly difficult, especially for a sibling with severe physical disability.

Tinh recently suffered a stroke that left him weak and slow in movement, further limiting his ability to look after the family.

He has contacted charitable organisations to seek long term care for his siblings. Two of them, Hoa and Luong, have been accepted by care centres, but the remaining two have not.

“They only agreed to take in two people. Hop and Phi still have nowhere to go. I am old and sick. I worry that if I pass away, no one will take care of them,” he said.

A local official confirmed that Tinh’s household is among the most disadvantaged cases in the area. Tinh is classified as a war invalid with a 61 per cent loss of working capacity, while all four siblings are fully unable to work due to mental illness.

Local authorities and residents have provided support, but community representatives say additional assistance from organisations and donors is urgently needed to help ensure long term care for the family.