On September 24, Dantri Newspaper presented VND 93,798,793 (USD 3,610) to the family of Tran Thu Dan, 63, who lives in Tan Dong Hamlet, Tan Quoi Commune, Vinh Long Province.
Hardship has followed Dan's family for years. Her son, Nguyen Tan An, born in 1985, was first diagnosed with epilepsy. In 2009, his condition worsened significantly and doctors later diagnosed him with a brain tumour and a heart valve disorder.
The financial and emotional burden of caring for her son fell largely on Dan. After years of struggling to support the family, she was diagnosed in 2023 with stage-three kidney failure and diabetes.
Today, both mother and son are unable to work and are living in a relative's home. The family is still carrying more than VND 200 million (USD 7,690) in bank debt accumulated during An's medical treatment.
Their only source of support comes from Dan's youngest daughter, Nguyen Thu Tho. However, her modest factory-worker salary is far from enough to cover the monthly medication costs for her mother and brother, as well as the interest payments on the family's debt.
“Every week when I return home, I give my mother part of my wages so she can buy medicine,” Tho said. “Relatives sometimes help with a few hundred thousand dong, and that is how we have managed to get by.”
After Dantri published the family's story, readers and charitable donors contributed through the newspaper's Charity Programme to help them cope with their difficulties.
Receiving the donation, Tho expressed her gratitude to the newspaper's readers and supporters.
“I am deeply thankful to everyone who contributed to helping my family,” she said. “For us, this support is incredibly valuable. It gives us strength and motivation to continue fighting illness and overcome these challenges.”
