A brother and sister in Bac Giang Province are struggling to get by with their old grandmother after both of their parents died.

Do Viet Hoang is in 7th grade and his sister, Do Anh Thu, is just four years old.

Do Viet Hoang and Do Anh Thu

Hoang said because their grandmother was sad whenever she looked at the photos of their parents, Hoang has to put the photos away. "But I miss them so much sometimes, I'll take the photos out just to take a look."

Misfortune fell on Hoang's family when his sister was four months old. His mother had a headache and was diagnosed with pancreatitis but she died four days later. After that, Hoang's paternal grandparents also died one after another. Their father then died from liver cancer. In four years, they have lost most of their family.

Nguyen Thi Tam, head of Cau Can Village said, "Everyone is sympathetic but we can't help them much. We're worried because their house is deteriorating and it looks like it could collapse at any time."

The deteriorating house

Hoang's grandmother, Nguyen Thi Vuon, had had to lock one of the rooms so the children can't enter, fearing that the walls could collapse soon. She used canvas to wrap around another deteriorating room and told the children they should stay out. Vuon's only wish is that the children can go to school.

She said, "What'll happen to the children when I die too?"