Representatives of Dantri/Dtinews Newspaper on July 28 presented VND 199.59 million to Pham Hong Viet, born in 1986, who lives in Can Tho City, to help cover the medical costs of her daughter, Pham Anh Thu.
Viet said the donations from Dantri readers had enabled her to take her daughter to Ho Chi Minh City Children's Hospital for two follow-up appointments, with total expenses of nearly VND 20 million.
Anh Thu, born in 2010, remains dependent on peritoneal dialysis to stay alive. Viet said she plans to reserve the remaining funds for her daughter's ongoing treatment.
She expressed gratitude to readers and donors, saying the financial support had given the family hope at a time when she could never have raised such an amount on her own.
Dantri had previously reported on the family's circumstances. Viet has raised two daughters alone since divorcing more than a decade ago. Her eldest daughter is now married.
In 2018, Viet suffered a traffic accident that left her with a permanent injury to her left leg, making it difficult to walk. As her health deteriorated, she was forced to give up trading work and instead relied on temporary jobs, including house cleaning and restaurant work, earning only a modest income.
Because of the family's financial hardship, Anh Thu left school last year to work at a coffee shop. Within a few months, she developed a persistent cough and shortness of breath. After being examined at Ho Chi Minh City Children's Hospital, she was diagnosed with end-stage chronic kidney disease.
Viet said she was devastated by the diagnosis and could not afford a kidney transplant. As regular haemodialysis was beyond the family's means, she asked doctors if her daughter could continue treatment at home.
The teenager now undergoes peritoneal dialysis four times a day. Each month, Viet returns to hospital for follow-up appointments and to collect large quantities of dialysis solution, which must be transported home by hired vehicle.
Viet said her daughter's treatment costs exceed VND 5 million each month, far more than she can earn from her current work. Although the family has received support from several donors, those funds had already been exhausted. With both her parents deceased and no siblings to rely on, she said she was facing the struggle to save her daughter's life entirely on her own.
