A couple in Dak Lak Province are calling for financial support to treat their two children who are struggling with autism and heart disease.

Nguyen Phuong Dong is a teacher at Nguyen Dinh Chieu Secondary School. He was happy when having their first child, Nguyen Quoc Anh, in 2010. But two years later, doctors told him that his son had autism.

"I was shocked, I couldn't believe it and felt my heart broke," he said.

Dong and his six-year-old son who has autism

He and his wife, Tran Thi My Dieu, tried to give Anh their love as the six-year-old boy can't go to school or mingle with friends. The couple struggles to pay monthly tuition fees of VND6.5m (USD287) to send Anh to boarding school for autistic children in HCM City. This is also when Dong's wife was pregnant with the second child.

Unfortunately, their youngest son had breathing difficulties and lack of appetite when he was two months old. He was diagnosed with pneumonia and heart disease at Dak Lak General Hospital and transferred to Children's Hospital 2 in HCM City.

Dong's wife takes care of their youngest child in HCM City

"The doctors said he must be operated on before he turns six months old, but the surgery costs hundreds of millions of VND. We already taken loans and salary advances to build a house and care for our first child. Now we can't afford the surgery," Dong said.

Le Van Duong, headmaster of Nguyen Dinh Chieu Secondary School said they had provided favourable conditions so that Dong could have time to visit his wife and children. The teachers also donated to help them but it's not enough for the surgery.

Nguyen Van Vy, deputy chairman of Cu Ni Commune said, "The commune has called for help for them but we can't help much."