9 YEARS-OLD GIRL LOOKS AFTER HER MOTHER DYING OF AIDS
She lit a fire to cook meat with brine; the lighter did not fire, so she took coconut leaves and went to neighbor hood to ask for fire. When she came back, winds made her fire in the coconut leaves extinguish. She blearily sit beside her decrepit mother huddling herself up in a corner.
Nguyen Thi Tuong Vy, who was born in 2001, in An Binh Hamlet, An Thanh Commune, Mo Cay District, Ben Tre Province had to leave school from grade one in order to care for her mother in final stage of HIV condition although she had her father, her grandparents and her aunt around.
From the days of her mother’s sickness becoming worse, her eyes could not see any thing; she was discriminated by relatives, so Vy brought her mother to the isolated garden with a ragged hut made by coconut leaves to take care of her. “Now my mother is very weak and blind; nobody helps her cook for a meal, pour out the water, take a bath, and even take medicine from hospital, so I must try to take care of her.” The 9 years-old girl with very limpid eyes and fleck of soot on her face said and turned back to her cooking.
It is called kitchen but just several bricks on the floor and covered by coconut leaves above. “This morning, some neighbors give me a little money to buy meat and bean to prepare meal for my mother”, she said. This flame was very difficult for her to light up.
The hut extended about 15m2 and was very low-roofed. However, having one place for her and her mother to shelter from the rain and the sun also makes her feel lucky although there are no electricity, running water, lack of love and sympathy from relatives.
The 41 years-old mother became decrepit because of illness, laying on bamboo bed, and told inarticulately that when her marriage broke up, she went to Sai Gon in disheartened condition to work but stumble in prostitution, which led her to live with HIV.
When her disease recrudesced, she came back to hometown and hoped that she would live with family until at the end of her life, but her family discriminated with and stayed away from her. She said in a voice choked with emotion, “It is very lucky when Vy always beside me; she and I protect and help each other mutually during this time”.
Despite of taking responsibility for taking care of her sick mother, she still realized anything and spontaneously said: “My house has no WC; I went to stool in the previous day and my aunt forced me to scoop up. She also does not give clean water to use but block water from a well because of infecting AIDS.”
Discriminated by relatives, neighbors in commune are those who support them. Mr Phan Van Kien, head of hamlet, said, “Beat the one who runs away rather than one runs. What her mother did to be infected by HIV is the past, so there is no need to mention over again. It’s very important to help them have clothes to wear and food to eat for life.”
Some neighbors give rice; others bring some money to her so as to help her buy food to feed her mother and herself. Le Thi Thao Vy, a member of Ben Tre Online Group (charity organization) said, whenever visiting her house, the group always help Vy take a shower and take her to An Thach market for purchase of necessary things. “She is obedient and courteous; if she has something, she always saves to buy milk and medicine for her mother.” She said.
Being too painful and loving her daughter who suffers from a lot of hardship and relatives’ discrimination, she expressed to Vnexpress.net: “I want to be on Tropical hospital not to treat myself but diagnose when I die.”
Readers want to help Vy’s mother, please contact the Red Cross in An Thanh commune, Mo Cay Nam District, Ben Tre Province; or Chairman of commune’s Red Cross, Ta Van Tam, tel: 0918.262657.
Originally Posted by Song Khoa
Posting Permissions
