For almost two decades, a 44-year-old man hailing from Dong Thap Province, located in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam, has never enjoyed a Lunar New Year holiday at home with his family, but in the hospital, due to his kidney illness.

The 2021 Lunar New Year, or Tet, is another festival that Nguyen Ngoc Em, with his body weakened and disabled by his kidney disease over time, has nobody but a wheelchair by his side.

Em is unmarried and has been an inpatient at Cho Ray Hospital in District 5, Ho Chi Minh City for 17 years.

He has to undergo kidney dialysis thrice a week.

For the rest of the week, Em moves his wheelchair around the hospital to sell lottery tickets to earn a living and pay for his hospital fees.

Regarding his health and financial conditions, returning to his hometown in Dong Thap for Tet celebration is a luxury.

“For many years, I have never thought of returning to my hometown, but had Tet alone in the hospital,” Em said.

But it does not mean that Em is unable to find happiness in his situation.

“It's sad, but I already got used to it,” he added.

For Em, happiness is as simple as that he still can feel healthy enough to go for a ‘sightseeing trip’ around the flower street, which is specially set up for inpatients, at the hospital during this Lunar New Year festival. 

The man also feels blessed to be able to spend his every day with the sick people in the same situation and doing the same lottery job.

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