Elderly mother looks after Agent Orange son in flood

A 72-year-old single mother in the central city of Danang who struggled to protect her Agent Orange-affected son during the recent floods has spoken about her family.

A 72-year-old single mother in the central city of Danang who struggled to protect her Agent Orange-affected son during the recent floods has spoken about her family.

Le Thi Dat in Tay An Village, Hoa Vang District has two children, a daughter and a son. Without her husband, she has tried her best to take care of them. Her daughter got married and now lives far from her home while her 28-year-old son has been paralysed since he was born.

  

 Dat and her ailing son

Storm Damrey has caused serious flooding for many central and southern-central localities, including Danang City.

Her house has been seriously flooded, so she had to take her son on a boat. She feared that he would be drowned if he continued lying on the bed.

Then she had to keep the boat at the foot of the stairs so that the flooding wouldn’t sweep her son away.

  

Her son has been paralysed since he was born

Last night, she slept with her son on the boat to protect him as her house’s beds were totally flooded.

“My son has suffered from high fevers and pains over the past two days. We only have instant noodles left in the house, but he couldn’t eat it. He wanted to eat some soup, but there is no other way for us to cook. Luckily, our neighbour gave us some bread and food,” she said.

 

Phung Van Mai, head of Tay An Village, said that Dat’s family is in a very difficult situation and really needs help.