Dan Tri readers have donated VND85m (USD3,800) to help a girl in Quang Tri Province who is losing parts of her face to strange illness.

Trang and her mother

On December 2, a Dan Tri representative in Quang Tri Province, leaders of Trieu Phong District People's Committee and the district Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs visited the family of Nguyen Thi Thuy Trang to present her with VND85,540,000.

Thanks to the support, Trang was brought to National Leprosy Dermatology Hospital in Hanoi. However, she was diagnosed with the last stage of squamous cell carcinoma, a type of skin cancer, and doctors said that they couldn't treat her.

"We didn't have money to go to more hospitals and find out about the illness in time. Now her condition has become too severe and this breaks my heart. But to see so many people support her like this makes me happy," Trang's mother, Do Thi Hoi, said.

Hoi said even though Trang couldn't be treated, they were now able to take her to more hospitals and find out about the illness. She expressed gratitude to everyone that helped them. Le Van Son, vice chairman of Trieu Long Commune also expressed his gratitude to those people who had sympathised and supported Trang.

A Dan Tri representative presents the donation to Trang's family

Since birth, Nguyen Thi Thuy Trang's face has blistered and skin has begun to die. Her eyesight has also worsened over the past 10 years. Doctors at many hospitals couldn't find the cause of her illness and Trang's mother thought that maybe Trang was affected by congenital problems associated with Agent Orange.

Trang's father died of cancer, leaving all responsibility on her mother. Trang is the youngest daughter with four siblings. The two oldest sisters are married and one of her sisters had to drop out of university to find work.