At the Department of Internal Medicine 2 - Nghe An Oncology Hospital, for many months now, the uneven, wobbly footsteps of a skinny woman with nailed feet have been echoing regularly in the hospital corridor. That is Mrs. Nguyen Thi Kim Thanh - wife of Mr. Pham Xuan Sinh (born in 1959), residing in Truong Vinh ward, Nghe An province. For nearly half a year, despite being in pain and having difficulty walking, she has not left her husband's side, because Mr. Sinh - who served many years in the army, is now fighting stage 4 lung cancer that has metastasized to the brain.
To prolong his life, Mr. Sinh was treated with a chemotherapy regimen combined with the immunotherapy drug Durvalumab for 4 cycles. This is a very expensive drug, currently not covered by health insurance. Although the Ministry of Health has supported the “buy 1 get 2 free” policy, the amount of money that the patient has to pay for 1 treatment cycle is still more than 40 million VND. This is too much money for a poor family without a stable income.
Mr. Sinh's family situation was extremely difficult. After being discharged from the army, Mr. Sinh returned to his hometown to work for a living. After many years, due to old age and poor health, he gradually lost his ability to work; his wife, after an accident, could not work because her leg had to be fixed with nails. The whole family could only rely on their 3 children, but all of them worked for hire, with unstable income. Unable to find enough money for treatment, Ms. Pham Thi Phuong - Mr. Sinh's daughter - had to run around everywhere to borrow money, knocking on the doors of acquaintances in the hope of having enough money to continue her father's treatment.
Loving her husband, despite the pain from the leg surgery that torments her every day, Ms. Thanh still tries to be with him every moment. “He is tired, there were times when I thought he would not make it. But he still tries for his wife and children. Therefore, no matter how much my leg hurts, I cannot leave him right now…”, she said, her eyes reflecting the determination and helplessness of a woman struggling for her husband.
Dr. Nguyen Thi Thuy My - who directly treated Mr. Sinh shared: The patient had late-stage lung cancer that had metastasized to the brain, the pathology was small cell neuroendocrine carcinoma - a disease with a very poor prognosis. Combined treatment of chemotherapy and immunotherapy can help prolong the patient's life. Currently, the patient's response to treatment is quite good, bringing hope of improving the quality of life and maintaining a longer life. However, the cost of treatment is very high. If it had to be abandoned halfway, it would be a real pity...
Dr. Nguyen Khanh Toan - Head of Internal Medicine Department 2, Nghe An Oncology Hospital also expressed deep sympathy: The hospital and the Department have tried to support with procedures, paperwork, and request for a reduction in hospital fees, but the specific treatment drugs still have to be paid for outside. With the current circumstances of the patient's family, without support, the risk of stopping treatment is very high. We really hope that kind-hearted people can help to give the patient a chance to continue living.
More than anyone else, Mr. Sinh and his wife longed to live, to continue being together. Despite poverty and illness, they still held each other’s hands during every moment of treatment, still believing that “as long as there is life, there is hope”. But to continue on this difficult journey, they need more than ever the sharing hearts of the community.
All contributions and support please send to account number: Ms. Pham Thi Phuong (daughter of patient Pham Xuan Sinh), account number 0395332534 at BIDV Bank.
Source: https://baonghean.vn/cuu-quan-nhan-tung-ngay-gianh-giat-su-song-voi-can-benh-ung-thu-10302114.html
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