Dang Viet Khanh Duy (centre) and his sister receive the donations on October 21.
The entire amount has been transferred to the bank account of Duy’s elder sister, 30-year-old Dang Thi Dieu.
On behalf of the family, Dieu said tearfully, “Through Dtinews, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all the readers who have extended their kindness to us. We will open a savings account and spend the money carefully so that Duy can continue his education and have a stable life.”
Duy was born into a poor family. His parents, Dang Viet Tinh (born in 1968) and Dang Thi Lai (born in 1972), married in 1994 and had three children: Dieu, Thuong, and the youngest, Duy.
When Duy was still small, his father worked as a labourer in An Giang Province but contracted severe malaria that damaged his brain, leaving him blind for the rest of his life.
His mother took on exhausting manual jobs to support her ailing husband and children. In 2019, she developed schizophrenia, suffering from insomnia, delusions, and seizures.
In 2020, Duy’s father passed away after years of illness and blindness.
As the two older sisters grew up, they both got married. Earlier this year, the middle sister, Thuong, fell into postpartum depression after giving birth to her first child.
On September 13, Duy’s mother and Thuong went to Ha Tinh Mental Health Hospital for a check-up and medication. While Thuong was receiving treatment, Lai quietly left the hospital, returned home, locked the door, and ended her life. The tragedy left relatives and neighbours heartbroken.
Khanh Duy besides the altar of his parents.
Dieu said life remains extremely difficult. Her husband works overseas, while her sister Thuong’s mental condition continues to deteriorate and may need to be cared for in a mental health centre. Duy, now 12, has become a child without parents.