According to reports from local authorities, in 1972, Lang's father, Ho Van Thanh, a 40-year-old soldier, took his three-year-old son into a forest in Quang Ngai Province's Tra Bong District after seeing the tragic death of his wife and two other sons when the US troops bombed his house. The father and son lived in the forest for over 40 years until being found and taken out on August 7, 2013 when the father was seriously ill.
Lang, now 52, is living with his younger brother's family in Tra Bong District after the father died. They live on farming work with modest income.
According to Lang's brother Ho Van Tri, Lang started to feel pain in his belly at the end of last year. Then the pains came more frequent and Lang experienced rapid weight loss. Tri took Lang to a local hospital where doctors said Lang had liver cancer. Shocked with the news, Tri took Lang to a larger hospital in Danang City and doctors gave the same conclusion.
"I know how dangerous cancer is but Lang doesn't," Tri said. "And I'm more worried because I can’t afford the treatment at the hospital."
Tri took his brother home and tried to treat his brother with some kinds of medicinal herbs he found in the forest.
Lang (right) and his younger brother Ho Van Tri
"Our family have five members and we used to earn enough to live by with farming work," Tri said. "But now Lang is ill and I have to stay home to take care of him. Only my wife works in the field and we have two children to support."
After hearing about Lang's situation, Party Secretary of Tra Bong District, Dang Minh Thao, came to visit Lang and gave him a donation of VND3.7 million (USD161) which was taken from the district's budget.
Thao said that Tra Bong is a remote mountainous district and local people's lives are still very difficult. However, local authorities are calling for financial support to help Lang have better treatment at hospital.
"We hope that Lang will receive more financial help from kind donors to cover hospital treatment for his disease," the official said.
If you can help, please donate through:
1. Code 4111: Ho Van Lang - Ho Van Tri
Address: Tra Nga Village, Tra Phong Commune, Tra Bong District, Quang Ngai Province.
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* Vietnam Dong Account information at Vietcombank:
Account holder: Bao Dien tu Dan tri
Account number: 1017378606
With Bank: THE BANK FOR FOREIGN TRADE OF VIETNAM – Thanh Cong Branch
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Account holder: Bao Dien tu Dan tri
Account number: 1017780241
SWIFT Code: BFTV VNVX 045
With Bank: THE BANK FOR FOREIGN TRADE OF VIETNAM
* Vietnam Dong Account information at Vietinbank:
Account holder: Bao Dien tu Dan tri
Account number: 126000081304
With Bank: Vietnam Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Industry and Trade – Hoan Kiem Branch
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Account holder: Bao Dien tu Dan tri
Account number: 26110002631994
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Account holder: Bao Dien tu Dan tri
Account number: 0231195149383
With Bank: MILITARY COMMERCIAL JOINT STOCK BANK - Thai Thinh Branch, Hanoi
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- Account holder: Bao Dien tu Dan tri
- Account number: 1400206035022
- At Agribank, Lang Ha Branch, Hanoi
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- Account number: 1017589681
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