Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Mekong Delta man struggles with giant tumors on hand, back | Look At Vietnam

Mekong Delta man struggles with giant tumors on hand, back

April 11, 2012

Le Thanh Vu, 26, suffers from giant tumors
in his back and left arm.

It looks like Le Thanh Vu always carries a number of large bags in his left arm and on his back.

They are actually tumors that the 26-year-old man from Mong Tho Commune in Chau Thanh District, Kien Giang Province, has been suffering for more than two decades.

“He was bornÂ normal just like others but the tumors appeared in his chest, back and left hand since he was four years old,” said his mother Mui.

“His left arm began to grow rapidly and swallowed his shoulder and arm,” she said, adding that her son has become thinÂ with the growth of the tumors.

Vu weighs 50 kilograms, butÂ Mui said half of the weight belongs to the tumors, including three large ones on his back.

Although he cannot use his left hand, Vu tries to eke out a livingÂ selling lottery tickets since his father died several years ago.

“The other children got married and have their own families. Anyway, they are too poor to support me and Vu,” Mui said.

Vu said he sells about 60 lottery tickets to earn about VND60,000 (US$2.9) per day. He rents a small house for VND350,000 ($16.8) per month to stay in the province’s center, where heÂ can sell more lottery tickets than at home.

“A kind family donates two meals per day. That’s why I have been able to save a little money to send to my mother,” he said.

Vu said the giant tumors make it really difficult to do simple things like wearing a shirt.

His mother said the family wasÂ so poor that they did not seekÂ any diagnosis or treatment of his disease.

“I suffer from frequent ailments and have toÂ depend on him, while he is already struggling to earnÂ a living,” she said.

By Dinh Phu, Thanh Nien News

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“I can’t say what made me fall in love with Vietnam - that a woman’s voice can drug you; that everything is so intense. The colors, the taste, even the rain. Nothing like the filthy rain in London. They say whatever you’re looking for, you will find here. They say you come to Vietnam and you understand a lot in a few minutes, but the rest has got to be lived. The smell: that’s the first thing that hits you, promising everything in exchange for your soul. And the heat. Your shirt is straightaway a rag. You can hardly remember your name, or what you came to escape from. But at night, there’s a breeze. The river is beautiful. You could be forgiven for thinking there was no war; that the gunshots were fireworks; that only pleasure matters. A pipe of opium, or the touch of a girl who might tell you she loves you. And then, something happens, as you knew it would. And nothing can ever be the same again.”
― Graham Greene, The Quiet American

Tips on Travel to Vietnam

It's always warm in Southeast Asia apart from high mountains, so leave the heavy clothing at home. Cotton and breathable fabrics are always better than synthetics -- although cotton does wrinkle a lot when traveling! December through April is roughly the dry season in that region, although it can still rain a little. December is a good time to go in terms of temperature -- cooler than in the humid summertime. Either way, wearing more clothing (shirt sleeves and long pants) is always more respectful towards the Asian culture, especially when visiting temples and rural areas.