On October 27, a Dantri reporter and leaders of Ha Nha Commune in Danang presented Nguyen Thi Loi, 54, with a symbolic cheque for VND 140,672,351 (about USD 5,410) donated by readers to help pay for her son's treatment.
The donations followed a Dantri article highlighting the family's difficult circumstances.
Representatives of Ha Nha Commune leadership present the symbolic cheque for VND 140.67 million donated by Dantri readers to Loi (Photo: Binh An).
Loi's family had been left financially exhausted after years of paying for her husband's cancer treatment and caring for her elderly, ailing mother-in-law. After both died, her youngest son, 27, was involved in a traffic accident that caused a traumatic brain injury and left the left side of his body paralysed. He lost the ability to work and carry out daily activities independently, requiring help with everything from eating and personal hygiene to physiotherapy.
In addition to the more than VND 140 million transferred through Dantri, the family received more than VND 20 million in direct donations to Loi's personal bank account.
Loi said she would put a small portion of the more than VND 160 million in savings for emergencies and use the rest to cover her son's ongoing treatment and rehabilitation.
“Medicine and physiotherapy cost more than VND 12 million a month. Without the readers' donations, I wouldn't know where to find the money to treat my son,” she said.
Ha Nha Commune leaders visit and encourage Nguyen Dinh Tay, Loi's son (Photo: Binh An).
Through Dantri, Loi expressed her heartfelt gratitude to readers and benefactors who had supported her family. Their generosity had eased the family's financial burden and helped them afford medication and treatment for her son, she said.
“Although I still don't know how much my son's health will improve in the coming months, this support has brought our family great joy and happiness,” Loi said.
Nguyen Van Quang, vice-chairman of Dai Loc Commune People's Committee, said Loi's family faced severe hardship. Her son was bedridden after the accident, while her husband and mother-in-law had also died of illness. Donations from Dantri readers had helped ease the family's burden, he said.
“The locality deeply appreciates the support from Dantri readers. We hope the newspaper will continue helping and bringing attention to other disadvantaged families in Ha Nha Commune,” Quang said.