That poor girl is Thao Thi Nhi (Mon Dao village, Thai Nien commune, Bao Thang district, Lao Cai province) currently being treated at the National Dental Hospital. Although Ms. Pham Thi Dieu Thuy – Head of Social Work Department of the National Dental Hospital, told us in advance about her child’s situation, when we met in person, we couldn’t help but be startled by the huge deformities.

The child fell asleep in the arms of his young father, Hau Seo Chang, and every now and then he would wake up startled and burst into tears. Seeing us coming, Chan lowered her face and gently pulled up the blanket to “hide” her child for fear of scaring others. I’m sorry:

“In the countryside, there were many people who accidentally saw my child and were very scared. Then when I carried my child by car to Hanoi, many children saw it and were scared and burst into tears, so I…”

She left the sentence unfinished and then turned back to trying to pet her child. Little Nhi probably sensed that a stranger was coming, so she cried more. Her young face had a large gap extending from her mouth, nose, arch and up to her eyes. Wheezing sounds came from my throat as if someone was choking me so I couldn’t breathe.

Ms. Pham Thi Dieu Thuy – Head of Social Work Department of National Dental, Maxillofacial, and Facial Hospital shared:

“When we received your child’s case, we were really worried. You are a Mong ethnic person in the highlands, it was very difficult to get to Hanoi for treatment, and your parents were still too young and poor. Because of her condition, she has had to have multiple surgeries, so we sincerely hope that readers of Dan Tri Newspaper will help her.”

As a Mong ethnic person living in a high mountain area, Chang said that taking her child to Hanoi for treatment was very difficult. The journey from my house in the high mountains to the road to catch a bus to the hospital took half a day, but I felt sorry for my child and knew that only the doctors down here could treat my child, so I earnestly stayed at the hospital. The day I went to Hanoi, I sold a flock of chickens and borrowed money from people in the village, bringing in a total of more than 2 million VND. That’s all the couple’s luggage to treat their child’s illness… Besides that, there’s nothing else.

Receiving Nhi’s case, Doctor. Nguyen Thanh Tuan – Department of Maxillofacial Surgery, National Dental, Maxillofacial, and Facial Hospital couldn’t help but wonder: “The baby has deformities of cross-facial cleft and very large cleft palate. Normally, the deformity in children is cleft palate. lip or palate, but in this case, it is a cross-facial cleft and an arch cleft, so the surgery will be extremely complicated and must be performed many times. Doctors will have to perform bone grafting, orthodontic surgery, and orthodontic surgery bones… In general, it will be very difficult and difficult, so we are also very worried about you.”

Sharing the same sentiment as Dr. Tuan, from the day the girl was brought to Hanoi hospital by her parents, in Mon Dao village, Thai Nien commune, Bao Thang district, Lao Cai, everyone was worried and felt sorry for her. Mr. Vang Seo Xi – Head of Mon Dao village said: “The girl is very guilty. When she was born, the people here did not understand why she had such a strange shape, then when she went to the hospital, they found out that she was deformed. Like that, Mr. Hau Seo Chang and his wife here belong to a poor household. They only work in the fields all year round. If there is no crop failure, they only have enough to eat. The rest of our family now lives in the hospital I just hope the family gets everyone’s help so that the baby can be cured.”

Knowing that her child’s treatment journey will be long and arduous, Chan is very worried. Turning back to look at my child with its unhealthy form, the pain felt like a hundred thousand knives cutting into it but I was helpless and didn’t know what to do. I looked down, a lump in my throat: “If I could exchange anything so that my child could be like other children, I would be willing, sister.”