A high school student from Thanh Hoa Province struggles for life as he faces the final stages of kidney failure.

Illness doesn’t keep Long from studying

Mrs. Lien is almost helpless to fight her sons disease

Nguyen Van Long, a 9th-grade student at Quang Chinh High School, Quang Xuong District, lives with his mother in a shelter run by charity. 15-year old Long has suffered from the disease for nearly ten years. He is 1m25 and weighs less than 23 kilogrammes.

Long’s Mother, Mrs. Lien said that her husband, Nguyen Van Gay, became seriously ill in 1984. Lacking the money for treatment, he became bed-ridden, and eventually died in 2004.

In the first grade, doctors informed Long’s family that he had kidney disease. He frequently had trouble breathing and was afflicted with oedema all over his body. For the past two years, he has been undergoing kidney dialysis at the National Hospital of Pediatrics. However, his difficult circumstances prevented him from continuing the treatment and he returned home.

Mrs. Lien grows vegetables and rice to feed her son, but she herself is often sick.

Despite having to deal with the potentially fatal disease, Long is still interested in learning. He tries to attend class as often as he can, though some days the cold weather makes it impossible. During breaks he stays in class, and must watch through the window as his classmates run and play.

Le Do Nghia, his teacher, said, “Long is always attentive in class. Friends and teachers are all sympathetic to his condition. We have made calls for donations, but the families here are too poor to contribute enough to deal with a disease as serious as Long’s. He may have to give up school if his situation doesn’t improve.”

Each of Long’s treatments cost over VND10 million (USD500), and Mrs. Lien must borrow money each time her son goes to the hospital, which is every few months.

On the verge of tears, Mrs. Lien said, “One time, we used every last bit of money on a treatment at National Hospital of Pediatrics. With nothing left, we had to walk over 20k back home.”

Now they make it by on several hundred square metres of paddy-field and a VND300,000 (USD15) from the state. Recently Long’s health has taken a turn for the worse. Doctors say his only hope is to receive a kidney transplant as soon as possible.

His mother was willing to give her own kidney, but doctors would not agree, because of the danger the procedure posed to her.

Long said, “I wish I would get better. I would like to become a doctor, so later I can provide treatment to poor people like me.”

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