Hanoi family with three disabled members appeals for support

Tran Thi Huong, 66, suffers from serious visual impairment and intellectual disability and is unable to work. Her difficulties have deepened as two grandsons, Nguyen Duy Anh, 13, and Nguyen Duy Khang, 11, were born blind with developmental delays. Khang is also deaf and mute.

To support the household, Huong’s daughter Tran Thi Hien, born in 1993, and her husband travel about 40 kilometres each day to work in Thuan Thanh Ward in neighbouring Bac Ninh Province.

The long daily commute means Hien cannot remain at home to care for her two disabled children.

Duy Anh was born with congenital ocular atrophy. One eye is completely blind while the other can only detect faint light. Doctors at Hanoi Mental Hospital have also diagnosed him with mild intellectual disability.

The boy is currently in first grade at a specialised school for children with disabilities in Dong Anh Commune. Despite several years of schooling, he still cannot write and communicates only through indistinct sounds.

Hien said she keeps her son in school so he can interact with other children facing similar challenges and learn basic life skills.

Meanwhile, Khang lives in complete darkness and silence. Blind, deaf and intellectually disabled, he cannot attend school, even specialised classes.

He spends most of his time with his visually impaired grandmother, whose poor eyesight makes daily care difficult. On one occasion, she accidentally spilled hot porridge on his leg, burning his right foot.

Hien said prenatal check-ups during both pregnancies showed no abnormalities. When the children were about six months old, doctors diagnosed them with congenital ocular atrophy.

The family’s modest house, built in 2019 with support from Hien’s employer, stands on land without a land-use certificate and in an area slated for planning, leaving their future uncertain.

Le Thi Quyen, an official from the culture and social affairs department in Dong Anh Commune, said the family faces exceptional hardship, with the elderly and visually impaired Huong caring for two severely disabled grandchildren.

Local authorities have called on readers and donors to support the family, saying financial assistance or sponsorship for the children would provide much-needed help and encouragement as they try to overcome their difficulties.