In August 2018, Minh was working for a brick kiln in Lai Vung district. As he tried to climb to the roof to remove the corrugated iron roof, he fell to the ground and lost consciousness.

He was brought to Sa Dec General Hospital, where physicians said he suffered from traumatic brain injury, deep coma and hematoma in the brain, and he needed prompt surgery.

Doctors at Sa Dec Hospital then opened his skull to remove the hematoma. After the surgery, he was moved to Cho Ray Hospital in HCM City for further treatment.

After one day and one night at the hospital, Minh’s relatives were informed that the man only five percent, and then one percent, chance to live. They were advised to bring Minh home.

At dawn on August 13, 2018, Minh was no longer breathing. His family members prepared to lay Minh in a coffin. However, as he had an accident when working, he had to wait for forensics to come to carry out an autopsy. 

“They (the forensics) suggested surgery, but I did not agree because I feared he would be in pain. After hesitating for a while, a miracle happened: Minh unexpectedly breathed heavily. When doctors came, they said Minh was still alive and told relatives to bring him to hospital,” Truong Thi Bay, 61, Minh’s mother in law, recalled.

Then Minh was brought to Sa Dec Hospital. He stayed there in a coma for 1.5 months and regained consciousness. 

According to Dr Ha Minh Quy of Sa Dec Hospital, Minh was brought to the hospital for the second time in a state of deep coma. He had high temperature and severe pneumonia, andthe hope of saving his life was very faint.

“We prescribed strong antibiotics suitable to his status and gave nutrition through intravenous line. Fortunately, Minh got well again,” Quy said.

“At that moment, Minh had little consciousness. He asked to save him so that he can look after for his two children. Maybe the will to survive and luck saved him from the death," Bay recalled.

Four years after, Minh now has ruddy health. He is strong enough to work to earn VND100,000-200,000 a day.

Minh said when he regained consciousness, he weighed 30 kilograms. Later, he recovered and weighed 60 kilos. However, if he works too hard, he gets a headache, he said.

Thien Chi