Elderly father seeks help to care for three disabled children

Dao Van Chin, 75, lives with his three disabled children in a small, deteriorating house in Xuan Lanh Commune, Dak Lak Province. Frail and exhausted, he must summon what little strength he has left each day to push a wheelchair for his eldest son, Dao Thanh Cung, 52, who is unable to care for himself.

Dao Van Chin and his son Dao Thanh Cung

After slowly helping his son to the toilet, Chin said he had spent several nights at hospital caring for his youngest son, Dao Thanh Tung. Cold weather and sleepless nights had left him drained.

“Tung broke his leg and suffers from severe diabetes, so the wound would not heal and became infected. In the end, doctors had to amputate his right leg,” Chin said. “Today, I asked people at the hospital to watch over him so I could come home to take care of my eldest son.”

Chin's youngest son Dao Thanh Tung has just had his right leg amputated 

In addition to Cung and Tung, Chin has a third disabled child, Dao Minh Tam, 41, who suffers from mental illness and often wanders away, returning home only when hungry or exhausted.

Of Chin’s five children, two have married and work as unskilled labourers with low incomes, leaving them unable to provide significant financial support to their ill siblings.

Chin said Cung had suffered from muscle atrophy since the age of two and has been completely dependent on family care ever since. The other two children fell ill only after reaching adulthood.

In 2009, Chin’s wife died suddenly after a long illness, leaving him alone to shoulder the responsibility of caring for three disabled children.

“There are times when I feel completely drained and on the verge of collapse,” he said. “But when I think of my three disabled children, I have no choice but to keep going.”

The family’s house has severely deteriorated, with termite-damaged wooden beams, stained walls and a decaying tiled roof that leaks heavily whenever it rains, seriously affecting daily life.

The family’s house has severely deteriorated

The four family members currently survive on a monthly social welfare allowance of VND 2.25 million (USD 85). The local government has also provided a breeding cow to support their livelihood. Chin’s greatest wish is to receive financial assistance to repair the house so his family can escape constant flooding during the rainy season.

Nguyen Thi My Linh, chairwoman of the Xuan Lanh Women’s Union, confirmed that Chin’s family is classified as a poor household facing exceptional hardship.

“They live mainly on monthly support linked to two of the children, totalling VND 2.25 million,” Linh said, adding that paperwork is being completed so the youngest son, who lost a leg, can receive additional benefits.

Tran Quoc Huy, Party secretary of Xuan Lanh Commune, said local authorities have provided support, including a breeding cow and access to social welfare policies.

Regarding the severely degraded house, Huy said the commune would mobilise local resources to help cover part of the cost of building a new home. He also called on readers to lend support so the family can have a solid house and emergency funds for medical treatment.