Cheo A Truong at the hospital
Cheo A Truong, 16, left his home in Sin Ho District to seek a job in Hanoi after his parents divorced and were both sent to prison for trading drugs. He wanted to earn some money to support his small sister who was sent to live with their grandmother.
Truong was happy when accepted to work at a construction site in Hanoi in May. But just a short time after that his work was suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He faced lots of difficulties when being stuck in Hanoi for several months during social distancing. He returned to work in October and had a serious accident just a few days later.
"I fell from the scaffold when I was working on the fourth floor on October 16," Truong remembered. "I think I was still lucky because I fell on a pile of sand which helped lessen the injuries."
Truong was rushed to a nearby hospital and stayed there for a week. Then he returned to his hometown to continue treatment to save money. However, due to his serious condition, doctors at Lai Chau Provincial General Hospital had to transfer Truong to the Vietnam-Germany Hospital in Hanoi for better treatment.
Hearing about his financial difficulties, some people helped pay the transport cost for Truong and his aunt who went to take care of him at the hospital.
Doctor Bui Hai Nam at the Vietnam-Germany Hospital said that Truong suffered from various injuries in his spine, stomach, and legs of which the spinal injury was the most serious.
"He has undergone several operations but would still need long and costly treatment," the doctor said. "We've heard about his difficulties and want to get support from the public to help him get over it."