Vietnamese Family Shelter – Episode 168: The 13 years old boy who dreams of curing his mother’s illness brings MC Vu Manh Cuong to tears

In episode 168 of Mai Am Gia Dinh Viet (Vietnamese Family Shelter), hosted by MC Vu Manh Cuong, two guest artists—singer-actor Bach Cong Khanh and runner-up Phuong Anh—were deeply moved by the heartbreaking circumstances of children growing up in hardship, facing a seriously ill mother and a father struggling alone to support the family.

Thirteen-year-old Tran Minh Khoi and his simple dream amid his family’s burden of illness

Tran Minh Khoi (born in 2013), a 7th-grade student at Nguyen Thi Hai Secondary School, currently lives with his parents and older sister in Phuoc My Trung Commune, Vinh Long Province. His father, Tran Van Quyen (born in 1975), previously worked as a construction laborer, earning 200,000–250,000 VND per day. For the past 6–7 months, however, he has suffered from spinal degeneration (two lumbar vertebrae and one cervical vertebra), which has significantly weakened his health and prevented him from doing heavy labor. He now takes on light work such as raising chickens for others or looking after goats. Each chicken-catching job pays about 500,000–600,000 VND, but such work is irregular and unstable.

Khoi’s biggest aspiration is to excel in his studies so that he can one day afford to treat his parents’ illnesses.

Khoi’s mother, Huynh Thi Truc Ly (born in 1982), is currently undergoing treatment for early-stage blood cancer. Every two months, she must return for follow-up checkups, costing around 2 million VND for medication alone, not including travel expenses. Her deteriorating health leaves her almost unable to work, and most household responsibilities now fall on Mr. Quyen and young Khoi.

Khoi’s older sister, Tran Minh Thu (born in 2007), is a first-year student majoring in E-commerce at Ho Chi Minh City University of Industry. The family sends her approximately 2.5 million VND per month to cover living and study expenses. To afford tuition and first-year costs, the family borrowed 50 million VND from a bank, with monthly interest payments of 250,000 VND—an immense burden given both parents’ illnesses and the lack of stable income.

The family owns a small plot of land with about ten coconut trees, yielding roughly 1 million VND per harvest in good seasons. However, this income is irregular and only supplementary. Their home, built over 15 years ago, has wooden walls and an old corrugated metal roof, now severely deteriorated and damaged in many areas.

Despite these hardships, Khoi remains diligent in his studies and looks up to his sister as a role model. He is mature beyond his years, often helping with household chores due to his mother’s fragile health. Khoi dreams of studying well, growing up quickly, finding a job, and joining his sister in earning money to treat his parents’ illnesses and ease the family’s burden.

The artists were heartbroken to learn that Khoi had not dared to eat his favorite dish for a long time due to his family’s financial hardship.

At the studio, Khoi bowed his head, unable to watch the footage recounting his family’s story, a moment that left MC Vu Manh Cuong visibly choked with emotion. The host gently encouraged the boy and asked about his dreams. What moved him most was that all of Khoi’s innocent wishes revolved around his family, with his greatest hope being that his mother would regain good health.

Vu Manh Cuong also expressed concern for Mrs. Ly’s health. Despite her weak condition, she constantly worries about her children, fearing she may become a burden to her family. The quiet sacrifices and tireless efforts of Mr. Quyen, who shoulders all responsibilities to care for his family, deeply impressed the host.

Singer-actor Bach Cong Khanh voiced his admiration for Mr. Quyen’s resilience and endurance, noting that despite countless hardships, he never complains or expresses despair to his wife and children. At the same time, he shared his concern for Khoi’s future, feeling sorrow that the boy has been deprived of a carefree childhood and must face so many challenges at such a young age.

Runner-up Phuong Anh could not hold back her tears upon hearing about the family’s struggles. She was especially heartbroken to learn that Khoi loves beef, but since his mother fell ill, the family has not been able to afford it. Khoi’s repeated refusals to hang out with friends so he could return home to care for his mother and manage household chores moved her deeply. Along with her sympathy, Phuong Anh encouraged Khoi to keep studying hard and urged his mother to stay optimistic, maintain a positive mindset, and take good care of her health to remain a strong pillar for her son.

Heartbreaking circumstances of Pham Trung Quy: a childhood spent catching snails with his father to save money for his mother’s treatment

Pham Trung Quy (born in 2015), a 5th-grade student at Trung Hoa Primary School in My Tinh An Commune, Dong Thap Province, lives with his father Pham Van Chen (born in 1979) and mother Vo Thi Hien (born in 1982). The family belongs to the near-poor category and has struggled even more since Mrs. Hien was diagnosed with stage-2 breast cancer. Although her illness was discovered in early 2021, she continued working to support the family despite declining physical and mental health.

At the end of 2021, Mrs. Hien underwent her first surgery. In 2024, the cancer recurred, forcing her to undergo a second operation. The disease has since metastasized to the axillary lymph nodes, causing persistent pain and leaving her too weak to perform heavy labor. Every three months, she must travel to Ho Chi Minh City for follow-up examinations. Although health insurance covers part of the cost, the expenses remain substantial.

The family’s financial burden falls largely on Mr. Chen, whose own health has also deteriorated. Previously a construction laborer earning about 200,000 VND per day, he suffered a broken left leg in a tree-cutting accident. Although he can now walk, he never fully recovered and also suffers from spinal degeneration, preventing him from doing heavy work. He currently earns a living by catching snails along canals, collecting about 6–8 kilograms per day if lucky, at prices ranging from 60,000–80,000 VND per kilogram. The work is unstable, and whenever his wife is hospitalized, he must stop working to care for her.

Pham Trung Quy is an understanding 11-year-old boy who studies hard and regularly accompanies his father to catch snails to help pay for his mother’s medication.

The family lives in a simple house provided by the government, with no valuable assets. They are also burdened by a 45-million-VND bank loan taken out to cover medical expenses, requiring interest payments of 1.8 million VND every three months—well beyond their means.

Deeply worried about his seriously ill mother and ailing father, Quy has grown up quickly. After school, he helps with household chores, and on weekends or during summer breaks, he follows his father to catch snails to earn extra money for his mother’s medicine. Diligent and obedient, Quy studies hard and hopes to continue his education as far as circumstances allow. Though he dares not dream big, he harbors a wish to become a teacher someday, study well, and later support and repay his parents’ sacrifices.

MC Vu Manh Cuong was visibly moved by the hardships faced by Quy’s family. In particular, the moment when the young boy broke open his piggy bank and used his small savings to buy medicine for his mother brought the host to tears.

Sharing his emotions, Vu Manh Cuong said: “Quy feels deprived because his family lacks so many things, but I believe not every family is fortunate enough to have such a filial and understanding child. Quy’s parents must be incredibly proud. Even at such a young age, he knows how to share responsibilities and help his parents, and that truly touches my heart.”

Runner-up Phuong Anh also shed tears during the family’s emotional sharing. She was deeply affected by Quy’s mother repeatedly breaking down in tears and blaming herself for becoming a burden to her husband and child. Phuong Anh was especially touched by Quy’s maturity—at only 11 years old, he already takes care of his family, helps his father catch snails, and does household chores to support his mother. She encouraged Quy to keep studying hard and nurture his dream of becoming a teacher so he can one day repay his parents’ love.

MC Vu Manh Cuong was deeply moved by Pham Trung Quy’s filial devotion and quiet, selfless sacrifices.

Singer-actor Bach Cong Khanh likewise expressed his admiration for Quy’s maturity and composure. The image of the boy constantly worrying about his father and accompanying him to catch snails out of concern for his father’s health moved the guest deeply. Despite life’s many hardships, Quy never gives up and continues striving in his studies while holding onto his dreams for the future—something that strengthened Bach Cong Khanh’s faith in the boy. He expressed hope that Quy would remain steadfast and believed that after appearing on Mai Am Gia Dinh Viet, a brighter journey awaits the family.

Mai Am Gia Dinh Viet airs at 7:30 PM every Friday on HTV7. The program is produced by Bee Communications in collaboration with Ho Chi Minh City Television, with sponsorship from Hoa Sen Home Building Materials & Interior Supermarket System (Hoa Sen Group) and Hoa Sen Plastic Pipes – Delivering Happiness.

Hoa Sen Group