Dinh Thi Tuyen, 18, has to keep her mother inside their tiny, dilapidated house using a chain.
"She shouts and cries a lot, but I have no other options. Otherwise, she will wander out, destroy furniture and attack others," the girl explains.
Tuyen said that her mother, Dinh Thi Linh, 54, has had mental problems since she was small. Tuyen was born after her mother was raped and has never known anything about her father. Linh and her mother used to depend on her grandmother until she passed away in 2017.
"Mother used to know how to express her love for me, but her problems have worsened over the last five years," the girl shared. "She has seizures more often, and many times, she could not even recognise me. I have to help her in all her daily activities."
Tuyen is a final-year student at a local high school. She dreams of studying to become a teacher, but her family situation may prevent her from doing so.
"Our relatives also face difficulties, so they can't help," Tuyen said. "I'm finishing high school soon, but I don't have the money for university. And I have to stay home to take care of my mum."
After school, the teenage girl does odd jobs, including growing vegetables and raising chickens and cows to provide food and earn some money to support her mother.
"A kind donor gave me a cow which produces a calf yearly," she shared. "The cow is now my biggest asset, and I have some money from selling the calves to others. I'm also raising chickens for eggs and meat. I also do some farming work for people to earn some more money."
Tuyen's teacher, Tran Thi Viet Ha, said that Tuyen is a hard-working girl and can become a good university student. However, she faces many difficulties realising her dream of becoming a teacher.
"Teachers and friends have tried to help Tuyen during her time here," the teacher said. "Tuyen has also tried a lot, but she has to take care of her mother and can't leave for university."
Vice chairman of Hung Thuy Commune People's Committee, Nguyen Huu Nuoc, said that local authorities are considering sending Tuyen's mother, Dinh Thi Linh, to a centre for better care and treatment.
"That will also help ease the burden on Tuyen," the official said. "However, the girl needs more help to continue studying to have a better future."
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