Dantri Newspaper, in coordination with the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Thuong Lac Ward in Dong Thap Province, handed nearly VND 150 million in donations to two disadvantaged households in the province's border area on November 11.
Through the newspaper's charity programme, readers donated VND 66,121,680 to Nguyen Thi Lang, 59, who has suffered from paralysis and mobility difficulties since childhood.
Nearly a year ago, Lang was diagnosed with colon cancer. She has undergone surgery to remove part of her colon and receive a colostomy, followed by chemotherapy.
Lang's family receives donations from readers (Photo: Nguyen Minh).
Lang has one daughter, who is married with two young children and also struggles financially. Whenever her son-in-law takes her to hospital for medical appointments, the two often rely on free charity meals to save money.
"Each chemotherapy treatment costs at least VND 10 million, an enormous amount for my family. My daughter and her husband have to cover all my medication and hospital expenses, while my relatives are also struggling financially," Lang said emotionally.
Lang had her anus removed because of the severe illness (Photo: Bao Ky).
Speaking to Dantri reporters, she expressed her heartfelt gratitude to readers and local authorities for their compassion and support, saying their generosity had given her renewed strength to fight cancer.
"I have only spent more than VND 10 million of the donated money on chemotherapy so far. I do not dare spend it wastefully because I know it represents the precious generosity of benefactors. I have no words other than my sincerest thanks to everyone," she said.
Over the past month, Lang has travelled six times to the second campus of Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital for colon cancer treatment. She said her health had improved during this latest period because she now had financial support for medical care.
The second beneficiary is Dang Hoang Mai, 13, an eighth-grade student who lost both parents at an early age.
Her only remaining close relative is her 23-year-old brother, Dang Van Trong, who is married and has a three-year-old daughter.
A Dantri reporter and local representatives hand over support money to Mai and her family (Photo: Nguyen Minh).
Trong left school early and works at a wood-processing workshop. His job is unstable, leaving him with an irregular income despite being the family's main breadwinner.
After Dantri published an article highlighting Mai's difficult circumstances, readers donated VND 82,147,969 to support her.
Speaking to the newspaper, Trong said the donations would help him cover his younger sister's expenses at the beginning of the school year.
He expressed deep gratitude to readers and local authorities for their support.
"Because of our difficult circumstances, I had to leave school early. My greatest wish is to see my younger sister complete her education so she can have a brighter future," Trong said.
