An 82-year-old mother in Ha Nam is struggling to earn a living and take care of a blind daughter and a mentally disabled son, both adults.
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| Old age brings no rest |
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| Old Thiem and her children |
Mother Dinh Thi Tiem is living with her son and daughter in Hamlet No. 13, Thi Son Commune, Kim Bang District.
Mrs. Thiem got married to Lai Van Thang, who was injured in the war, when she was 21 years old. They had eight children, and a life full of ups and downs. Three of their children died early.
Her third child, Lai Van Tien, 44, was blind when he was born. Despite his age, his blindness and mental disability have made him dependent on his mother.
Lai Thi Sau, the seventh child, a daughter, was also born blind in 1977. She is better able to take care of herself, despite suffering from oedema.
Life became much harder for Thiem in 2004, when her husband died.
At present, Thiem and her two children are living in a dilapidated house. Their income consists of a disability allowance of VND120,000 (USD5.73) per month.
The other children have married but find it difficult to support their mother.
“My son Tien’s situation is getting worse. When he is in pain, he can’t control himself and destroys anything within his reach. Once, when we ran out of medicine, he climbed onto the roof and started throwing tiles down. I had to borrow money from my neighbours to buy his medicine,” Thiem said.
The daughter’s situation is also worsening.
At the age of 82, the mother is struggling sciatica, which has plagued her for many years. She hopes that her life might become more comfortable in the future.