At lunchtime, an acquaintance from Mr. Tran Van Tinh (Tony Tinh) family’s charity group came by and announced that a woman had been left near Can Tho overpass. The woman, who was from another district, came to this place to earn her living. She and her child did various jobs to survive. She unfortunately contracted HIV at the age of 35, so people who lived near her lodging house kept away from her. The hospital refused to continue to treat her because she had no money left. When she came back home, her landlord threw her furniture out onto the road. Because the ambulance driver and hospital staff did not know where to drop her off, they had to leave her under Can Tho overpass.
Hearing this, Tony drove his car there to help the poor woman. When he arrived, the woman was unconscious and her 10-year-old child was holding her and crying. Many curious people were standing around, afraid to get closer. The policemen from the commune were at the scene “preparing” to report in case the woman passed away. The situation became more desperate because of the rising flood and rain. When Tony’s car arrived, numerous passers-by started gossiping, “Who is this woman? She must be very lucky to be picked up in a car!”
Tony and his aunt, who was a member of the charitable organization, carried the woman and her old and worn-out belongings to his car. At that time, Tony only thought was that he could not leave her alone under the overpass. If she died, she should have a decent death. Recalling his father saying, “Once a person is dead, no one else should blame him,” he brought her back to his house. At that time, there was not much space left in his house for the sick woman, and moreover, Tony’s father was paralyzed. His family discussed the matter with their neighbors and together set up a temporary tent on the vacant land near his house so that she and her child could have a safe place to live. The next day, Tony’s parents asked the local government to register them as temporary residents so that they could arrange her funeral if she died. Tony helped her child get a job as a servant in a neighboring house, and everyone arranged things so that the child could go to school.
After that, the local Red Cross Organization was informed about the woman’s case. The organization arranged to take her to an institution for AIDS patients to take care of her according to Vinh Long Province’s policy. Not a long time after that, she peacefully passed away.
There is no need to plan and prepare in advance to do good things. We only need to have a good mind and a merciful heart. Mercy and compassion cannot be judged by exterior appearances because a merciful heart is boundless.
Be Better Foundation
