Dispel fatigue and pain for sick children with a loving Mid-Autumn Festival party

Lai Khanh H. (Ninh Binh) received a doctor-shaped figurine. — Lai Khanh H. ( Ninh Binh ) received a doctor-shaped figurine.

Joy in the hospital room

H. has stage 3 lung cancer, has had part of her lung removed, a tumor in the middle of her lung removed and still has a tumor behind her lung that has not been treated. Ms. Do Thi H. (Khanh Hoi, Ninh Binh) - the patient's mother said that for the past half month, the months of continuous hospitalization have exhausted her family, borrowing money everywhere in the hope that her child can become a normal, healthy girl.

Standing next to her child waiting for the toy, Ms. H. confided that since the end of 2025, she saw her child had a fever, but her family's circumstances did not allow her to go for a checkup. The fever did not go away, so the family took her to the provincial hospital, where she was diagnosed with lung cancer in February 2025. It was not until they went to the National Children's Hospital that the family was shocked to learn that her child was so seriously ill.

Celebrate the special Mid-Autumn Festival at the National Children's Hospital.

The first time celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival in the hospital was a big turning point in H.'s life. Her understanding words made everyone around her unable to contain their emotions: "I want to ask for a picture of the doctor because the doctor treated me so I could go to school and I also ask for the word "peace" to hope that my life will always be peaceful."

Ms. H. secretly wiped away her tears when she heard her child say that, choking up: "I just hope my child has a comfortable Mid-Autumn Festival because only with good health can we overcome illness."

Like the mother in Ninh Binh, Ms. Nguyen Thi H. (Van Don, Quang Ninh ) was filled with emotions as she pushed her child's wheelchair to the fairground. Nearly a year ago, her child had symptoms of headache, vomiting, and stiff limbs, and was discovered to have a blood clot in the brain. But it was not until she went to the National Children's Hospital for surgery that she discovered her child had a malignant brain tumor.

Ms. H's child is suffering from a relapse of brain cancer.

The 7th grade patient’s body, which was previously healthy and rosy, now weighs only 16kg with scars crisscrossing her head. Just a few months after surgery, while undergoing the 8th round of chemotherapy, she was recently diagnosed with a new tumor.

"After the 8th chemotherapy session, my child will be scanned and evaluated and a new treatment regimen will be found, and he will be operated on again. My family only makes a living by fishing offshore, and we have borrowed money from everywhere. We will take care of him as much as we can. We don't know how long he will last, but for now, we will let him have fun as long as possible. He was very excited to go to the fair today. The other day, we went to the concert and he was also shaking and dancing along," Ms. H. shared.

From early morning on October 4, thousands of children followed their parents to the National Children's Hospital to join in the atmosphere of the Mid-Autumn Festival. Even though they had to use crutches, limp, or had needles in their hands, or sit in wheelchairs, they did not feel any pain, only eager faces, curious to explore , calling out to each other and jostling to get gifts.

The program not only cheers up the children, dispelling the feeling of fatigue and pain when lying in the hospital room, but also becomes a spiritual support for fathers and mothers, including those who have lived with their children in the hospital for decades. "Seeing my children playing and excited, as a mother, I am also comforted. My poor family cannot afford to buy cakes or toys for my children, and has never let my children ride electric cars, but now my children get to experience everything," one parent emotionally expressed.

More than 2,000 sick children celebrate a loving Mid-Autumn Festival

With an art party taking place on the afternoon of October 1 and a free fair on the morning of October 4, thousands of gifts were given away, helping thousands of children being treated at the National Children's Hospital to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival with excitement.

Dr. Hoang Minh Phuong, Deputy Director of the National Children's Hospital, said that the "Mid-Autumn Festival of Love" program is an annual activity organized by the National Children's Hospital in collaboration with philanthropists for children being treated at the hospital, with the hope of bringing joy and warmth to sick children who cannot return home to be with their families during the Tet holiday.

This year, the Organizing Committee has devoted a lot of effort to planning and preparing for more than 2,000 children and their families to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival at the hospital in the most thoughtful and cozy way.

Here, children can participate in the free Fair program with more than 44 booths, including many gifts (toys, teddy bears, backpacks, moon cakes, moon lanterns, milk...) and a play area for sick children (painting statues, making moon lanterns, folk games...).

Previously, on October 1, children and their families also attended an art performance program with many unique art, magic, and circus performances.

"Every year, the Organizing Committee tries to innovate and diversify the gift categories, to make the program more diverse and of higher quality, bringing children more joy and surprises," Dr. Phuong shared.

The Social Work Department has connected with benefactors to decorate 12 Mid-Autumn Festival trays in the hospital's departments and rooms, bringing the children a warm, colorful Mid-Autumn Festival atmosphere, helping them feel the joy of reunion during their treatment.

Among the children who depend on wheelchairs, there are those who have spent decades celebrating Mid-Autumn Festival in the hospital.

The hospital, in collaboration with philanthropists, organized 40 booths and distributed more than 2,300 free gift vouchers. In addition to spiritual and encouraging gifts for the children, the hospital's social workers also connected and mobilized many material gifts to support hospital fees, medicine, and meals for the sick children during this Mid-Autumn Festival.

From September 15 to October 3, the Hospital's Social Work Department connected and received treatment funding to support nearly 600 disadvantaged children (worth about 1.6 billion VND), 125 cash donations (about 153 million VND), 1,692 lucky money gifts (about 930 million VND), nearly 6,000 rice porridge meals (worth about 160 million VND), and 8,442 gifts were also delivered to the hospital rooms of the children.

The Mid-Autumn Festival program brings joy to children.

"Volunteer activities at the hospital are increasingly receiving attention from the community and society. This is our joy in having more resources to take care of the children comprehensively, treating their physical and mental health, reducing stress and making them happier, cooperating and complying better with doctors during the treatment process, thereby improving the treatment's effectiveness," said Dr. Phuong.

It is estimated that the total cost of organizing this year's Mid-Autumn Festival is about 2.1 billion VND, including gifts, exhibits, and art and entertainment activities.