05:08, 20/08/2017

An infant needs urgent help to save her eyes

Le Thi Kim Sang is the child of Le Ngoc Dien and Le Thu Diem (Phuoc Trach Hamlet, Dien Toan Commune, Dien Khanh District, Khanh Hoa). Sang was born premature, weighed 1.5 kg on May 13, 2017 with anemia, malnutrition, neonatal infection, and dislocated right hip.

Le Thi Kim Sang is the child of Le Ngoc Dien and Le Thu Diem (Phuoc Trach Hamlet, Dien Toan Commune, Dien Khanh District, Khanh Hoa). Sang was born premature, weighed 1.5 kg on May 13, 2017 with anemia, malnutrition, neonatal infection, and dislocated right hip. She also suffers retinopathy of prematurity which can progress to blindness if not being treated timely. 
 
They live in a small and poor house. Since Diem gave birth, the whole family has lived on Dien’s monthly income of around VND3.5 million. The relatives of Dien and Diem are all poor, so they can not offer much help.
 
In order to afford the expenses of travelling, milk for preterm baby (Sang needs around ten bottles of milk per day, each costs VND20,000) and treatments for Sang in the hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City, Dien and Diem have had to borrow money from the neighbors, which is up to VND80 million now.
 
As shared by Diem, before giving birth to Sang, she had two miscarriages and a premature baby who died 20 days after birth due to meningitis and septicemia. Sang have not received regular treatments because her parents could not afford the expenses.

 

 
As said by Nguyen Duy Dung, Deputy Chairman of Dien Toan Commune People’s Committee, the local authorities have just visited and offered VND1 million (extracted from the Child Patronization Funds) to Sang’s family. Besides, the commune will consider incorporating Sang’s family into the list of poor households of Dien Toan Commune in 2018.
 
Reportedly, some sponsors have recently visited and gave VND6 million to Sang’s family. Thanks to the financial support, Diem could bring her child to Ho Chi Minh Ciy for treatment on August 16. “The doctors said that Sang have to have urgent surgery to save her eyes; however, we do not have money to pay for the surgery,” Diem said in tears.
 
Hopefully, the readers and sponsors everywhere can offer support to save the eyes of Sang. All the supports can be sent to Le Thu Diem (phone number 01677018975 ), or the charity box of Khanh Hoa Newspaper office at 77 Yersin St., Nha Trang City (phone number 0258.3822019), or Khanh Hoa Newspaper’s bank account at Vietcombank Nha Trang (account number 0581000765262).
 
Duong Tam
Translated by H.N