Over VND192 million helps family battling life-threatening illnesses

On June 25, the humanitarian television program Aspiration for Life (Khat Vong Song) brought renewed hope to the family of Nguyen Thi Phung, 64, from hamlet 2, Long Ha commune, Dong Nai City, whose husband and daughter are both battling serious illnesses.

The program was jointly organized by Dong Nai Newspaper and Radio-Television (DNNRTV), the Dong Nai Association for Supporting People with Disabilities, Orphans and Poor Patients, and Nhat Advertising JSC, with Tan Phuoc Khanh Steel Co., Ltd. as the main sponsor. Long Ha commune’s leaders, volunteer groups and benefactors also attended the event.

Supporters traveled from Ho Chi Minh City to deliver financial assistance and gifts directly to the family. Photo: Khanh Dan

Seeing the family's circumstances firsthand, the organizers and donors gained a deeper understanding of the hardships facing Phung. At an age when she should have been enjoying retirement, she now spends her days caring for her critically ill husband and daughter, despite having exhausted both her physical and emotional strength.

 Phung's life has been marked by hardship. Abandoned by her former partner while pregnant, she remarried at the age of 36 to Nguyen Van Truong, who had also gone through a failed marriage. Together, they earned a modest living by selling banh bot loc (Vietnamese tapioca dumplings) from a street cart, working long hours to make ends meet.

Nha Trinh presents a major sponsorship donation during the program. Photo: Khanh Dan

DNNRTV’s representatives hand over donations contributed by readers. Photo: Khanh Dan

Long Ha commune authorities coordinate closely with organizers to ensure that donations are managed transparently and used effectively. Photo: Khanh Dan

The couple’s joy overflowed in 2002 when their daughter, Nguyen Thi Thanh Hang, was born. Aware of her family’s hardship, Hang put her studies aside shortly after turning 19 to work in a factory, with a simple wish: to earn money so her aging parents would suffer less. But the shadow of illness soon descended, taking away what little peace the family had. In November 2025, Truong suffered a stroke, then slipped and fell, fracturing his hip joint. The family had to borrow from many sources to pay for his surgery. Before the old debts could be repaid, more devastating news came in January 2026: Thanh Hang was diagnosed with malignant ovarian cancer that had metastasized.

The cost of chemotherapy and long-term treatment quickly exceeded the family's means. Living in a modest charity house with virtually no valuable possessions left to sell, the elderly couple could do little but watch helplessly as their daughter battled the disease.

Volunteer groups across Dong Nai City contribute financial assistance for Hang's treatment. Photo: Khanh Dan

During the program, the total amount mobilized in support exceeded VND192 million. To ensure the money would provide the strongest possible support for the family, the organizing board agreed with the Long Ha commune authorities on a plan to use the fund most transparently and effectively. Specifically, VND20 million will be used immediately for Hang’s follow-up examinations and chemotherapy, more than VND2 million will go toward the family’s urgent living expenses, and VND170 million will be deposited in a savings account to support Hang’s long-term treatment.

The generosity of donors has given the family renewed hope during one of the darkest periods of their lives. Photo: Khanh Dan

Overwhelmed by the outpouring of support, Phung fought back tears as she thanked the donors. "At a time when we believed all hope had been lost, the program and so many kind-hearted people reached out to help us. This is more than financial assistance. It has given my husband and daughter another chance to continue their fight," she said.

Beyond supporting one family in need, Aspiration for Life once again highlighted the value of compassion and community solidarity. The program demonstrated that, even in the face of illness and adversity, acts of kindness can provide hope and strength to those confronting life's greatest challenges.

By T.Hien – Translated by M.Nguyet, Minho