A special opening ceremony was held at HCM City Oncology Hospital on September 4 for children undergoing cancer treatment. Some arrived straight from their hospital beds, with IV lines still attached, wearing white school shirts and red scarves.
Nguyen Phuoc Loc, deputy secretary of the HCM City Party Committee, and Truong Thi Bich Hanh, standing vice-chairwoman of the city's Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee, joined officials and hospital representatives at the ceremony and encouraged the young patients.
Students from the Hoa Huong Duong (Sunflower) class performed to celebrate the new school year, bringing a cheerful atmosphere to the hospital.
Some children attended the ceremony in white shirts and red scarves while still connected to IV lines.
The Sunflower class has been running for years, providing children with serious illnesses a place to study, play and spend time with friends while receiving treatment.
Nguyen Tran An Nhien, nine, has been receiving treatment at the hospital since she was four. A regular member of the class, she said drawing was her favourite subject while pointing to the IV needle still attached to her wrist.
Despite fatigue from treatment, many children try to finish their schoolwork before returning for medical procedures.
Teacher Tran Thi Minh Hieu said lessons were tailored to the children's health, ages and learning levels. "The children are divided into groups according to their age and ability. Besides regular lessons, they can sing, play games and dance, giving them time to relax after exhausting treatment," she added.
The teachers have also witnessed painful farewells over the years, with some children returning to their hometowns and never coming back. They still remember the faces and stories of their former pupils.
The Sunflower class operates five days a week. Lessons are relatively short, but give the children time away from medicines, needles and medical records.
Parents say even on days when their children are tired, the prospect of a lesson can make them eager to prepare their books and see their teachers and classmates.
Amid hospital wards and long courses of treatment, the Sunflower class offers a different scene: children holding pencils, studying, laughing and holding on to a part of their childhood.