Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - A Thursday morning at theNational Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) is just likeevery other weekday morning at a hospital: crowded, noisy with patientsawaiting medical examinations.

A group of four women standing by the receptiondesk near the hospital’s entrance, are busy writing wishes on a stack ofenvelopes. They are here to visit a 25-year-old Azerbaijani patient who came toVietnam as a volunteer, fell sick while teaching English to children in the northernmountainous province of Son La, and discovered he had acute myeloid leukemia.

Eldniz Nasabli was transferred from the Son LaGeneral Hospital to NIHBT on the morning of June 7 after a week of sufferingfrom high fever and uncontrollable bleeding gums. Apart from leukemia, he wasalso diagnosed with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) – acomplicated, fatal condition that costs a lot of money to cure, said doctor VuQuang Hung, deputy director of NIHBT’s chemotherapy department.

“He was admitted to the hospital in criticalcondition due to considerable blood loss,” Hung told the Dan Tri onlinenewspaper. “We immediately conducted tests and performed blood transfusions.”

By June 19, forty-seven units of type B blood(11.7 litres) were transfused into Eldniz’s body. “He is a particularly severecase that requires such an amount of blood in such a short period of time,” Hungadded.  

Eldniz’s condition has been stabilised. Sincehis wish to return to his home country for treatment was dismissed by doctorsbecause changes of pressure on airplanes during long flights could put his lifeat risk, Eldniz continues receiving blood transfusion and chemotherapy atNIHBT.

The young patient’s story has gone viral, withnetizens writing about his condition on social media, spreading the word,asking their friends for blood and money donations.

Chinh Vu, a social media user, took lead incollecting money donations via bank transfer and gave them to Eldniz. By June19 night she received some 105 million VND (4,600 USD) from friends andacquaintances who got to know about him through her social media posts.

“Having worked with a lot of foreigners inVietnam, I understand how horrific it is for them to fall sick in a strangeplace,” Chinh Vu wrote on her personal page.  “I have never called fordonations like this before […], but for this particular case, I myself wouldnot be enough,” she wrote. “He needs more support from you, from your friendsand from many other golden hearts of Vietnam.”

Nguyen Anh Tri, General Director of NIHBT, alsowrote about Eldniz’s situation on his social media account. “As soon as he knewabout his son’s illness, Eldiz’s father – Mr Valekh Nakhibov, a 59-year-oldretired university professor – flew to Hanoi to take care of him,” he wrote.

“Some 2,000 USD, which is all his family gotafter asking everyone they know, was brought here to pay for his son’s medicalexpenses,” he wrote on June 19. “Adding it to the amount raised by donors, itbarely covered medication fees in this first phase of treatment. I’d like toask all of you to lend a helping hand to the child of the beloved countryAzerbaijan that stayed close to us during wartime.”

The hospital was also doing its best to supportthe young patient – calling for donors, sponsors, and providing him and hisfather with free meals since the beginning of their stay, Tri wrote.

Second home

The door of a patient room on the seventh floorof the NIHBT opened, revealing Eldniz who seemed to be asleep in his light bluehospital pijamas. Recognising he had visitors, Eldniz opened his eyes andbarely mouthed: “Hi, please come in.”

The four visitors took turns talking to Eldnizand wishing him well, while he could only thank them ever so slowly and quietlyas he was feeling unwell.

As their conversation with Eldniz and his fatheradvanced, tears welled in the eyes of Tong Minh Nguyet – one of the visitors –as she revealed that she had been fighting breast cancer for nine years. “Iunderstand the struggles he is going through,” she said. “I believe he willmake it – the higher powers will help him – because he has such a big heart.”

Nguyet said she only got to know about Eldniz onJune 21 through the internet. “Within one morning I was able to call fordonations of 6 million VND (264 USD) from my friends, who also came here withme today,” she said. “It’s not much, but it represents our sincere hope that hewill overcome this hardship,” she said.

Although he couldn’t talk much, Eldniz nodded inappreciation with every well-meaning word his visitors said.

“I’m so touched by all the love I received fromVietnamese people,” he said. “Vietnam is my second home now.”-VNA