VietNamNet Bridge - Members of For Bright Future, a group of HIV carriers in Hanoi, call Ong Van Tung, 39 and his wife L as “couple of opposite extremes” since Tung carries the deadly virus, his wife does not. Fortunately, their son was born healthy.

 

The lucky man - Ong Van Tung.

 
Tung said, one day at the end of 1997, he felt like the sky collapses when he learned that he is positive to HIV. At that moment, all his dreams were broken. Thinking that his days of living is short, he was heart broken and did not care about anything, anymore. He spent all of his savings - about VND100 million ($5,000) - in a short time.

In the middle of crisis, his friends and family were always close to him, encouraged him to overcome that crisis. They awaken the positive thinking in a 26-year-old young man. He understood that he has to continue to live, to work, otherwise everything is meaningless. He got back to work at a small aluminum-glass window manufacturing enterprise at the outskirt of Hanoi.

Tung once met L, a slender girl, with big eyes and gentle smile, at a party. Different from other girls, L did not avoid Tung when she knew that Tung is an HIV carrier. The talks made them closer to each other.

At first Tung did not dare to think that he could win her love, but his heart always longed for her. Understands his position, L exposed her love first. After three years, they got married. At that time, none of L’s family members knew that Tung is an HIV carrier.

Now, some of the L’s family members knew, but they accept him with kindness. The couple is very happy. They are members of the For Bright Future Group, taking care and giving counseling for HIV carriers in Hanoi.

They wished to have children but the risk of passing the deadly virus to the child frightened them.

Lucky risk

The couple came to the Central Obstetrics Hospital and the Hanoi Obstetrics Hospital. Doctors all advised them should not try since it is very risky. They intended to go to the Tu Du Obstetrics Hospital in HCM City but they got a call from a couple who were at the same situation. They said the doctors of Tu Du Obstetrics gave them the same advice.

With the help from a friend, a private hospital in Chiang Mai, Thailand agreed to perform artificial insemination for them. The cost would be VND150 million ($7,000). That amount was far more than what they had saved.

The doctors in Chiang Mai told them that if the test to the wife is fine then the couple must stay at the hospital in Thailand for 21 days.

To save the cost, the husband could leave go home before his wife. The doctors would lay the embryo three times if the first two times fail. For the second and the third time, the cost is reduced to $500-2,000. The couple was so worried that the chance of success is not very high.

After a lot of pondering, they gave up the plan of going to Thailand and decided to take risk of having a child in normal way. L had ultrasound to narrow the date of ovulation and they plunged themselves to the risk…

After that day, L took the HIV prevention tablets. Tung before that took ARV for more than six months to reduce the risk of transmitting HIV to his wife.

The day when L saw two pink strikes on the quick test stick, the couple was so happy. The joy came with the fear that the wife may get HIV. The following tests all showed that L is negative. Finally, a beautiful boy was born.

The birth of the boy was compared with a big lottery prize, the precious prize for their love, determination and luck.

Tung said: “In our risky act, there is a lot of study about sex for HIV carriers. We used medicine accordingly to the doctors’ suggestions before doing that.”

Hoang Huong