Representatives from Dantri/Dtinews Newspaper, together with local authorities, visited Nguyen Ngoc Minh, 46, and his 16-year-old daughter to deliver more than VND 2.1 billion (approximately USD 79,500) donated by readers for their medical care.
Minh’s daughter has had type 1 diabetes since she was seven months old and has required frequent hospital treatment. When she was eleven, her illness worsened significantly, and she left school to focus on treatment.
In 2019, Minh and his wife divorced. He initially cared for the children, but frequent business trips meant he had to let them live temporarily with their mother.
When he brought them home after several months, his elder daughter had become withdrawn and often locked herself in her room. Minh thought it was due to family upheaval until one day, he noticed scars on her wrists.
In early 2024, doctors at the psychology department of Children’s Hospital 2 diagnosed her with severe depression, marked by chronic insomnia and a loss of interest in life. She often harmed herself to cope with emotional distress.
One day, Minh read her diary and was shaken to discover entries about her being sent to prostitution by her mother to earn money, hinting at traumatic experiences. “Each word felt like a knife to my heart,” he said. He immediately sought help from the Ho Chi Minh City Association for the Protection of Children’s Rights. Authorities quickly intervened and arrested the perpetrators.
But his daughter now faces severe consequences. In addition to psychological trauma, her diabetes has led to heart and kidney complications. Recent tests showed weakened heart function and kidney damage, requiring close and long-term treatment.
While his daughter receives intensive hospital care, Minh is also battling health problems. A work accident damaged five of his vertebrae, and late last year, he was diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis, forcing him to stop working for six months. His life savings were exhausted on medical treatment for himself and his daughter.
After the story of their situation was published on Dtinews, readers nationwide contributed nearly VND 2.1 billion (USD 79,500) to support the father and daughter.
Accepting the aid, Minh expressed his profound gratitude to the donors for their help during his family’s most difficult time. “More than VND 2 billion is a huge sum sufficient to allow my daughter and me to continue treatment,” he said. “I thought my life was at a dead end, but thanks to the help from Dtinews readers, I have new hope and motivation to go on, to care for my family and to rebuild myself.”
Minh decided to donate VND 100 million (approximately USD 3,780) to Children’s Hospital 2 to help ease the hospital fees for families facing similar situations to his own. After discussing with Dtinews and local officials, he agreed to put VND 1.6 billion (approximately USD 60,600) in a savings account in his daughter’s name for her future. The remaining funds will be used for her ongoing treatment and for the family's daily living expenses.
Minh and his daughter donate VND 100 million (approximately USD 3,780) to Children’s Hospital 2
After intensive treatment, the daughter’s condition has stabilised for the moment. However, she still requires daily insulin injections and close monitoring by doctors.
She shared she has recently found joy in simple things such as drawing and blogging, using art as a way to express feelings she once kept inside.
“In the future, I want to learn bartending so I can find stable work to help my father share some burden. I also hope to improve my drawing skills to nurture my passion,” she said.
Pham Tam, head of Dtinews’ southern office, said: “The girl is in a special situation and attracted large-scale support in a short time. We hope she will have conditions to receive good healthcare and that her future will be brighter.”
On behalf of Dtinews, Tam thanked the local authorities for their cooperation in supporting Minh and his daughter, and expressed hope that Thanh My Tay Ward will continue to help ensure that the money is used correctly in accordance with donors’ goodwill.
