Mother to child

A poor couple in the central province of Nghe An is calling for community support to save their 18-year-old son who is on the verge of death. Ho Huu Khoa, 46, and his wife Le Thi Tien, 41, from Quynh Thanh Commune in Quynh Luu District, are taking care of their eldest child Ho Huy Cuong who had a recent stroke. Due to the family’s financial difficulties, Khoa had to work in construction after school to support his parents. Cuong is in dire need of support On March 11, Cuong suffered a headache and his mother bought some medicines for him. However, after taking the medicine, his pain did not ease. On the same day, he struggled with convulsions and was sent to Nghe An General Hospital. Because of his critical condition, he was taken to Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi. Cuong was diagnosed with cerebral haemorrhage which needs surgery. But his parents couldn't afford the hospital fees, so he was taken back home for self-treatment. The couple has seven … [Read more...] about Poor couple seeks help to save ailing son

My memories of the good old days come flooding back every time I try cooking canh chua (Vietnamese sweet and sour soup) with ponyfish, one of my late mother’s home-cooked recipes that are just irresistible. An Bang fishing village, located in Cam An Ward, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam, is my hometown that boasts a host of traditional dishes of the central region. Visitors to coastal villages in my hometown should not miss trying freshly made seafood dishes, like grouper, barracuda, and especially ponyfish. Ponyfish are offered for sale at affordable prices at a wet market in Vietnam. Photo: Hoa Vang / Tuoi Tre The ponyfish, which is small-sized, has more bones than meat yet its sweet, buttery, and strong taste is favored by lots of seafood lovers including me. Elderly fishermen said that the ponyfish season starts from the ninth lunar month till early spring. The fish, mainly found inhabiting the Cham island area, comes in various types … [Read more...] about Home-cooked Vietnamese ponyfish soup brings back memories with mom

A handicapped Vietnamese man has spent the last 10 years teaching other disadvantaged children art and music at a center for the disabled so as to improve their conditions and help them recognize the most basic objects around them. Truong Tan Dung, 37, is currently a teacher at a center for Agent Orange-infected and disadvantaged children in the central city of Da Nang. At the center, he is not only the teacher of a class with 15 most serious cases of the facility, but he is also in charge of maintaining and managing its equipment and computers. Crippled teacher of the disabled At the age of three, Dung suffered from polio causing paralysis in his lower body and sensory paralysis in both of his arms. The misfortune of his childhood continued as his mother soon passed away and his father left, so the disabled boy grew up with his grandmother. As Dung showed his painting talent quite early in his life, he was able to support himself through adolescence by selling … [Read more...] about In their shoes: Crippled Vietnamese teacher devotes life to disabled children