Continuing the unfinished dream of becoming a nurse

“I think I will have to live with the disease forever, so I want to become a nurse so I can take care of myself, then take care of other patients, so that no one has to worry about me anymore…”. The statement of the 21‑year‑old nursing student L.M.Đ.S – living in Tuy Hòa, Phú Yên – currently receiving treatment at the General Internal Medicine Department of University of Medicine and Pharmacy Ho Chi Minh City Hospital (HCMU Hospital).

Recalling the time seven years ago, S told us about the confusion and fear of a ninth‑grade girl who had to endure an infected ulcer on her left lower leg caused by cellulitis. Her parents worked as construction workers in Ho Chi Minh City, sending money each month to care for her paternal grandparents and three younger siblings who were of school‑age, under difficult economic conditions; at that time S could only come and go to the local hospital to care for the wound.

Year after year, the wound kept recurring, with skin‑and‑flesh‑cutting pain when the weather turned cold, and scars from multiple surgeries covering the entire left lower leg; the petite girl had to accept another harsh reality that without money for definitive treatment, she would be forced to live with the disease forever. In June 2018, due to a severe infection, S was scheduled to be transferred to Ho Chi Minh City, but she sadly gave up treatment because she could not afford the hospital fees, hiding her longing for a pair of healthy legs like those of her peers.

On June 25, 2019, while interning at the Respiratory Department of ĐHYD Hospital, unable to endure the pain, S had to be admitted to emergency. After examinations, doctors diagnosed: “Recurrent infection of the left lower leg ulcer following cellulitis, deep venous valve insufficiency in both lower limbs”, S needs inpatient treatment to receive antibiotics, debride the wound and surgery, if delayed, the wound could become deep leading to amputation of the left leg.

Facing these risks, once again, S wanted to abandon treatment because the cost was quite high, beyond the family's means. With encouragement from the doctors and medical staff at ĐHYD Hospital, on July 1, 2019, after managing a little, S's family decided to admit S to the hospital, but the amount was only enough for the initial treatment steps.

We hope the community will join together to help fulfill S's dream of becoming a nurse, so that S can have the chance to walk on healthy legs and care for other patients.

All assistance is kindly requested to be sent to the following information:
Account name: Hospital of University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh City 
Account number: 0511000787878 
Joint Stock Commercial Bank for Foreign Trade of Vietnam, Saigon branch, Ho Chi Minh City
Content: Support for patient Lê Mai Đông Sa
Or contact directly Ms. Huỳnh Thị Phương Linh - Social Work Department - Phone: 028 3952 5422.