In late 2016, when she was about two months pregnant, Chu Thi Thuy, born in 1994 and living in Van Kieu Commune, Nghe An Province, began experiencing swelling in her legs. At first, she thought it was a normal symptom of pregnancy. It was only when the swelling became increasingly severe that she went to Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi for a check-up.

The diagnosis left the 22-year-old stunned: she had lupus erythematosus complicated by glomerulonephritis.

“At the time, I did not know what lupus erythematosus was. Before that, I had undergone a health check organized by my company, and nothing abnormal was found. I thought I would simply be treated and recover, but that was not the case. From that diagnosis onward, my life became tied to hospitals,” Thuy recalled.

Doctors determined that her disease was in an acute phase and that she needed to be hospitalized. However, because she was pregnant, the patient could not undergo an aggressive treatment regimen.

At the time, Thuy and her boyfriend were preparing for their wedding. After a period of treatment, doctors agreed to let her return home to complete the wedding before going back to the hospital.

Despite efforts to maintain the pregnancy, she lost her first baby after six months of treatment.

Losing her baby at such a young age while suffering from a serious illness sent Thuy into a deep emotional crisis. She only wanted to return to her hometown and even thought about ending her life.

“I once thought there was nothing left for me in life. I just wanted to go home and end it all,” she said.

The emotional trauma was accompanied by severe physical deterioration. Once weighing 52kg, the young woman was down to just 32kg after six months in hospital. When she returned home, even her parents could barely recognize her.

For four years, doctors worked to preserve her kidney function. But in 2020, the disease progressed rapidly and her kidney failure reached the end stage. She was advised to undergo arteriovenous fistula surgery in preparation for dialysis.

From a 22-year-old woman excitedly preparing to become a mother, Thuy's life had taken a turn toward years of hospital visits and dialysis machines.

The disease took away Thuy's health and her chance to have children, but for the past 10 years, her husband, a garment worker in Hanoi, has remained by her side through her most difficult moments.

“He has never blamed me or said a harsh word to me, and he has never said that I am a burden. He has always stood by me,” Thuy said.

When she began dialysis, Thuy returned to Nghe An to receive treatment closer to home. The couple no longer had the chance to have biological children. She many times told her husband that he could seek happiness elsewhere, but he chose to stay with her.

In 2019, while undergoing treatment, Thuy happened to meet a pregnant woman who was in difficult circumstances and unable to raise her baby. After a series of conversations, the couple decided to adopt the baby girl. She is now seven years old.

For patients with end-stage kidney disease, dialysis sustains life, but a kidney transplant offers the only real hope for transformation. Thuy submitted her registration for a brain-dead donor kidney transplant at Viet Duc Hospital in Hanoi.

Her family initially hoped her parents could donate. However, while her mother was healthy enough, her blood type was incompatible; her father shared her blood type but was in poor health. Thus, Thuy remains waiting for a stroke of luck.

While waiting, she keeps her transplant application active, undergoes regular repeat tests and remains ready whenever a suitable kidney becomes available.

After 10 years of living with illness, Thuy is no longer as desperate as in those early days. She has learned to accept her condition, cherish what she has, and stay optimistic each day. Her only sorrow is that illness struck before she could have children of her own. Now, she views her devoted husband as her greatest fortune - the pillar supporting her after every long dialysis session.

Phuong Thuy