Sadly the scene of an elderly mother in the midst of the "harsh sun" in the Central region, selling potatoes to raise 3 mentally ill children

In the midst of the scorching sun in front of the gate of Nghe An Psychiatric Hospital, Ms. Tran Thi Xuan sells potatoes every day, caring for three children with mental illness with her elderly mother, making many people sad.

In the midst of the scorching sun of noon in the Central region, in front of the gate of Nghe An Psychiatric Hospital, the flow of people is still rushing in and out. In a small corner near the pharmacy, the image of an elderly woman huddled by a basket of boiled potatoes caught the attention of many people. That is Ms. Tran Thi Xuan (62 years old), a native of Hai Chau commune, Nghe An – a mother who for more than 30 years has struggled to raise three children with mental illness.

Few people know that behind the simple potatoes she sells every day is a story full of tears. Ms. Xuan's life is not calm. After getting married, she gave birth to three children, aged 37, 34 and 27 this year, respectively. When she was a child, her children were healthy and agile like many other children. However, events began to hit when the children entered the age of 5–6. Abnormal manifestations such as screaming and loss of control gradually appear and become more and more serious.

"As for the third guy, he got sick later. My wife and I were happy and expected him, but when he was in grade 3, he started to get sick," Ms. Xuan choked up.

For more than three decades, she and her husband ran everywhere in the hope of finding a normal life for their children. However, all efforts did not bring the desired results. The economic burden therefore weighs heavily on the shoulders of Mr. Dao Xuan My – her husband. Although he is over 60 years old, he still has to follow groups of workers to help the lake, working hard to feed the whole family of five mouths, including three sick children.

The tragedy did not stop there. In early 2024, Mr. My was diagnosed with terminal esophageal cancer. After nearly half a year of battling illness in deprived conditions, he died, leaving Mrs. Xuan alone to face the burden of life.

Not only taking care of her three children with mental illness, Ms. Xuan also has to take care of her mother-in-law, who is 94 years old, in poor health. Because the children often have attacks and have uncontrollable behaviors, relatives have to contribute money to temporarily build a separate room near their church so that the old woman has a safe place to live.

"The three of you are all grown up without wisdom. One day they had a seizure together, screaming and smashing, chasing and affecting me," Ms. Xuan said in a chokehold. After her husband died, she took her children for treatment at Nghe An Psychiatric Hospital. In order to have more income and take care of her children, she asked to wash dishes for rent at a small restaurant in front of the hospital gate. The work is hard but the income is small, not enough to cover all expenses.

In her hometown, she has two poles of land to grow potatoes. In the harvest season, she got up before dawn, the kitchen team boiled the potatoes, selected each beautiful bulb and sold it in front of the hospital gate. In the early days, the amount of money she earned was only a few tens of thousands of VND, which did not penetrate anywhere compared to the needs of living. "I just hope that I have health to take care of my children. If it wasn't for me, they wouldn't know where to cling to...", she confided.

The story of a mother selling potatoes to raise three sick children gradually spread when a patient's family shared it on social networks. Since then, more people have known about her situation. Many people when visiting the hospital have stopped by to buy potatoes to support. Some people even quietly sent more money, just saying quietly: "I keep it and take care of my grandchildren!".

According to the leader of the People's Committee of Hai Chau commune, Ms. Xuan's family situation is particularly difficult. Her husband died of a serious illness, and she had to take care of her elderly mother and three children with mental illnesses alone. Currently, her children are entitled to social protection benefits, and the local government also regularly visits and supports, but resources are still limited.

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