Strength to Endure and Survive
My name is Lương Huyền Trâm
I am entering my 6th year at medical school in Duy Tân Đà Nẳng as a general practitioner.
I was born and raised in the leper village of Qui Hòa – Quy Nhơn. My grandparents and my mother are both leprosy patients since I was in primary school, and I have received support from the benefactors of the Hộ iBạn Người Cui.
My family situation was tough as well as many traumatic events, I was born in 2000, but in 1998 both my father and mother were sick and could only work as hard laborers. Therefore, they ended up doing whatever people pay them to do to make ends meet and to raise me.My parents’ dream was for me to have an education like other children.There was never enough food to eat, and I had learned to endure being hungry while studying and strive to study hard to escape from poverty in the future.
My family lived in terror because my mother had undergone four surgeries. She was very frail. However, after each operation, my mother went back to work to do whatever people asked her to do to earn money to help with my education, such as catching snails, collecting firewood, waitressing for street vendors… Her only hope was for me to become a doctor.
I didn’t dare to dream to become a doctor because the cost was too high, but through the encouragement of HBNC, I boldly entered the Medical University in Da Nang. I dared not apply to medical school in Saigon because the cost would have been much higher.
By mid-2022, my mother needed another surgery, but this timeshe did not have the strength to go through it. Her illness had progressed to cirrhosis of the liver and ascites. Whenever I have a break from school, I rushed back to visit my mom to be beside her. It was tough to watch my mom lying lifelessly on the hospital bed of Qui Hoa leprosy village waiting for the end day. Feeling helpless, I often asked myself why I should continue with medical school. Living in fear and sleeplessness, I experienced the emptiness and loneliness of humanity in similar circumstances.
My mother passed away on January 21, 2023. I could not describe the pain when I had nothing in the world to cling to, but seeing my father,I once again rose and returned to school to continue my education. This time, to hide from the sadness, I buried my head in residency at Hue Central Hospital.
I sincerely thank the benefactors of Hội Bạn Người Cui for supporting me to continue the remaining 20 months of my education.
May God give Hội Bạn Người Cui peace, happiness, and good health to continue helping lepers who are in the same situation as me, so that we can live the rest of our lives on this earth. I sincerely thank you, the benefactors and HBNC.
Lương Huyền Trâm