A Dantri reporter, together with representatives of the Vietnam Fatherland Front in Dien Bien Province and Bung Lao Commune, recently visited and presented a symbolic cheque of VND 164,679,467 (about USD 6,500) to Lo Thi Keo, 50, in Huoi Cam Hamlet.
The donation came from readers after Dantri published an article on Keo’s circumstances.
Keo, from the Kho Mu ethnic group, expressed joy and deep emotion, thanking the newspaper and readers for supporting her during the most difficult period of her life.
She said that since her husband’s death, she has raised her two children alone, relying on low paid manual work and living in constant hardship. After being diagnosed with breast cancer, she had to borrow money to travel to Hanoi for treatment.
Following several rounds of radiotherapy, she was forced to leave hospital and return home due to a lack of funds to continue medication, her health severely weakened.
She later discovered a large multinodular thyroid tumour compressing her airway, posing a serious threat to her health and life.
She said she once believed she would not survive, but help from Dantri and donors arrived at her most desperate moment, giving her renewed hope.
With the donated funds, Keo has repaired her house to make it safer to live in. The remaining money has been saved to cover ongoing breast cancer treatment and prepare for surgery on the thyroid tumour.
On behalf of local authorities, Luong Thi Thanh, vice chair of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee of Bung Lao Commune, thanked the Dantri editorial board and readers nationwide, saying their compassion had given a vulnerable life renewed hope, strength and confidence to fight illness.