In a quiet hospital room in Ho Chi Minh City, tears welled in the eyes of Vo Van Hoai as he held a receipt for VND40 million (US$1,516) in hospital fees, fully paid by someone he has never met.

“It’s more than we could ever afford,” said the father of 13-year-old Vo Tran Tan Du, who is being treated for encephalitis and a heart infection at Children’s Hospital 1. 

“I don’t even know their name. They just came and paid.”

His son is one of dozens of young patients whose hospital bills were recently covered by anonymous donors as part of a growing social media trend in Vietnam known as 'paying medical bills for strangers.'

The movement has quietly existed for years but has surged in recent weeks as videos of donors surprising families with life-saving payments go viral. 

Increasingly, young people are driving the momentum.

Among them are L.T.H.T., a 32-year-old from Nghe An Province, and her husband. 

Though they had long contributed to charity, this was their first time visiting a hospital to help directly.

“We came here planning to donate around VND50-100 million [$1,895–3,790],” she said, after receiving a list of urgent cases from the hospital’s social work team. 

“But when I saw the total cost for all 20 children was VND133 million [$5,040], I looked at my husband and said, ‘Let’s just do it all.’”

The couple paid the full amount without posting on social media or asking for any recognition.

In another corner of the hospital, Tran Thi Hau, 46, sat beside her five-year-old son, Ho Gia Bao, who suffers from bone marrow failure and a lung infection. 

Her husband, Ho Truong Son, had just returned from picking up free meals donated to low-income families.

“We never imagined it would get this bad,” he said, recalling how their son’s bruising was first misdiagnosed. 

Only after further tests did doctors identify a life-threatening condition. 

The family has been living at the hospital for four months.

“We tried borrowing money, but it was never enough,” he said. 

“Without this help, we honestly don’t know how we could keep going.”

At Children’s Hospital 1, the social work office handles 20-30 difficult cases every day, according to deputy director Chu Van Thanh.

The process is simple. 

After receiving referrals from doctors, staff verify each case and compile a list of children in need. 

Donors then arrive — some with large sums, others with whatever they can afford — and are guided to families they can help directly.

“We appreciate all contributions,” Thanh said. 

“Even small amounts, when added together, can save lives.”

Donations can be made in person or by bank transfer.

Some viral short video clips, such as one that raised VND3 million ($114) for a child with meningitis, have led to full coverage of hospital bills within days.

On some days, four or five groups of donors visit the hospital. 

Many are strangers to each other, but all are connected by a sense of shared compassion.

Some choose to meet the families. Others prefer to remain completely anonymous.

Thanh noted that many of the recent donors are young people.

“Some donors come back repeatedly. Some even fly back from overseas just to help,” he said. 

“It’s incredibly moving.”

Two of the newcomers are Dao Le Khang Huy, 23, and Vuong Nhu Y, 22, both from Ho Chi Minh City. 

They arrived last week after watching videos of the trend online.

“It didn’t seem like something only the rich could do,” Huy said. 

“So we set aside VND4 million [$151] from our salaries this month. It’s not a lot, but for someone else, it might mean everything.”

They insisted on handing the receipts directly to the parents — not for attention, but to offer encouragement face to face.

Dr. Truong Huu Khanh, a veteran pediatrician and former head of the hospital’s social work department, said charitable support for sick children has long been part of hospital life. 

But the current wave, he said, feels different.

“The difference now is that young people are showing up in person and taking the time to understand each case,” he said. 

“It’s not just quick charity. It’s charity that listens, that learns, that stays.”