Meeting Nguyen

Before last Saturday, we knew nothing of the boy living around the corner in the center of town. Meeting Nguyen (pronounced NEW-in), age 29, shook both me and Karen.

It’s not exactly certain what has happened to Nguyen, how, or when it happened. Western doctors Josh and John assess that a combination of encephalitis at the age of 18 (virus in the brain), a motorbike injury, head trauma, broken bones, malnutrition and neglect have left him in this current condition. Despite his broken body, Nguyen’s brain functions normally. He has finished 12 years of schooling before the accident/disease so he is literate and well-educated. He can hear but can not speak. He has movement in his head and neck and little movement in his limbs.

Nguyen’s mother passed away several years ago, and his father and sister are the main caretakers. According to the family members, Nguyen is provided very minimal necessities to survive and is seen as a burden - financially, physically and mentally. It seems clear that there is anger/frustration for foreigners to visit, so we tread carefully. A concerned neighbor contacted Karen, but there is no law against chaining a disabled family member to a bed, nor is abusing and neglecting them. Unfortunately, it's a situation that is more common than you think. Some of the questions/answers during the visit:

When did this happen? When Nguyen was 18, he had a fever
Does anyone talk to Nguyen or try to communicate with Nguyen? No
How long has Nguyen been on this bed? 12 years
Have you ever taken him outside? No
Why is he chained to the window? To keep him from trying to get out of bed, (he often “misbehaves”)
Is there anyone with him during the day when the family is at work? No
What does he eat/drink? Rice/water and some simple local food
How does he go to the bathroom? The father holds him over the toilet, and he wears a diaper.
There is a tv/radio in the room, do you turn it on for him? No
Why? It wastes electricity

The first time we met Nguyen, he locked his hand around my arm so tightly, opening his mouth and struggling to speak yet producing only moans. His eyes water and big smiles form when you hold and rub his hands and feet. His body reaction to gentle caring touch shows me the level of neglect and most likely abuse over the years. He is extremely thin and frail, I can wrap two fingers around his leg. He has numerous questionable soars/bruises on his body. Although I can not speak for Nguyen, I can only imagine that every moment of his life must be a living hell.

Aiming to improve Nguyen’s quality of life without being invasive, we manage to get hesitant family members to allow foreigners to visit. Once a day for about an hour, a few of us spend time feeding him meals that add nutrition and bulk while doing gentle exercises to strengthen his muscles. With the family’s permission, we are pursuing a full-time caretaker for Nguyen. We estimated a cost of $120 per month would allow proper care for 8 hours/day, 6 days of week. Karen begins the care before the funds are raised.

With intense rehabilitation, the goal for Nguyen is that he can operate as independently as possible…and to provide him with the comfort that someone cares.

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