The family was busy and left their nearly two-year-old granddaughter to play with other children in the neighborhood, leading to a heartbreaking accident when she suddenly ran across the road.

Lying in a hospital bed at the National Children’s Hospital, little Duyen whimpered softly, repeating, “It hurts, it hurts.”

Each time this happened, Mrs. Lieu felt heartbroken, quickly hugging Duyen, giving her a doll or a piece of cake to comfort her.

Mrs. Lieu recounted that on May 28, her family was occupied and left Duyen to play with the neighborhood children. A short while later, the sound of a truck braking suddenly filled everyone with fear. Rushing to the road, Mrs. Lieu was devastated to find her nearly two-year-old granddaughter beneath the vehicle.

Duyen was rushed to the Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital for emergency treatment with a severely injured right leg and a fractured left arm. She was then transferred to the National Children’s Hospital for further care.

Fortunately, after more than 10 days unconscious and undergoing numerous surgeries, Duyen woke up and survived, but doctors were unable to save her right leg.

“When she woke up, she just opened her eyes wide and didn’t cry for three days straight, which frightened me even more. Even the doctors caring for her were worried it might affect her emotionally,” Mrs. Lieu recalled.

After three long days, according to Mrs. Lieu, her granddaughter finally cried, but those were long days of both her and Duyen struggling through the pain.

“She cried constantly, refused to eat or drink, and only slept for a few minutes at a time during the night. Since then, her father and I have taken turns holding and caring for her,” Mrs. Lieu said.

Holding his little daughter, who had only recently learned to walk before the accident, Mr. Quan (Duyen’s father) said he will always regret that one moment of inattention by the adults changed his child’s future forever.

“I don’t know what the future holds for my daughter. I try not to think too far ahead, but whatever happens, our family will do everything we can to get her the treatment she needs, even if we have to borrow money,” Mr. Quan said.

Mr. Quan explained that he and his wife are farmers who take whatever work they can find. They have three young children, with Duyen being the youngest. His wife is seven months pregnant with their fourth child.

On the day of the accident, his wife was unwell and stayed home. When she learned that Duyen’s injuries were so serious that doctors could not save her right leg, the shock left her needing hospital care for a week.

Mr. Quan is the family’s main provider, but since Duyen was admitted to the hospital, he has had to stop working to stay by her side together with Mrs. Lieu. Their daily expenses and medical bills have been covered with help from relatives and loans from neighbors.

“The medical costs have already reached nearly 80 million dong, and the doctor said she will need many more surgeries. I hope that once her health improves, we can get her a prosthetic leg, but I don’t know where we’ll find the money,” Mr. Quan said sadly.

Regarding the family’s situation, the leader of the commune’s People’s Committee said they are classified as a near-poor household with several young children. Duyen’s father has ongoing health problems, while her mother works as a freelance farm laborer.

After hearing about Duyen’s accident, many local residents were deeply moved. Following the incident, local authorities organized donations to help support her ongoing treatment.

Source: VTCNEWS