Despite her financial and health problems, Y Thao, a native of Kon Tum Province in the Central Highlands, adopted Y.T., who was abandoned as an infant along the road 12 years ago.
The 47-year-old recalled not planning to marry due to her poor health and frequent sickness. While friends around her got married and had kids, Thao spent most of the day working in paddy fields.
After some villagers discovered Y.T. was abandoned but could not afford to adopt her, Thao made up her mind to take the baby home and bring her up, though she had zero parenting experience and was living in poverty.
Her family strongly objected to the adoption, but Thao did not change her mind because she could not stand abandoning the baby again.
Raising the child, who was malnourished and always sick, was not an easy task for Thao. As a result, she has been struggling to make ends meet.
Tran Van Tam, a local official, told thanhnien.vn that the local authorities sought measures, including calling on donations from generous donors, to support the kind woman.
Mother and son travel throughout Vietnam
After her retirement in 2014, Pham Thi Bich Lien, 64, who lives in Tien Giang Province, has taken time to travel around the country with her son, Nguyen Nhat Minh, 32. Together, they have visited all the 63 cities and provinces of Vietnam.
Lien told vnexpress.net that she and her son have visited all localities, even islands, from the south to the north of the country. She said she had peace of mind when her son accompanying her on all their trips, adding that Minh also taught her how to take the best pictures along their journeys.
Meanwhile, as an amateur photographer, Minh often traveled with his mom and some photography groups. For short-distance destinations, he usually rode his mom on his motorbike. He said his mother seems to be younger and healthier after a trip, and this is why he is always willing to accompany her wherever she goes.
The dedication of a teacher
Born into a family with five children in Me Linh District, Hanoi, Chu Quang Duc did not grow up as normally as his brothers, sisters and peers did.
Having to move around in a wheelchair due to motor impairment, Duc could go to school for the first time when he was 10 years old, with the help of his father.
Despite difficulties, with the help of his father and classmates, Duc graduated from the mathematics-informatics faculty of Hanoi Pedagogical University 2 in 2009. After tutoring students at home for a while, he was recruited to teach informatics at Me Linh High School in his hometown. This is also the school he belonged to when he was young.
Teaching at the school twice a week, the 1.2-meter-tall teacher in the wheelchair is always escorted to the classroom by his students. Duc continued to study and has earned a master’s degree in computer science. He told vnexpress.net that he has plans to continue his doctoral study in the future.
Local man offers free ambulance service to needy patients
Tran Anh, residing in Nui Thanh District, Quang Nam Province, has for years struggled to make ends meet and has now managed to build his own business with a stable income.
The 46-year-old man is now giving back to the community by offering free ambulance rides to poor patients.
He came up with the idea of providing emergency services in 2021, when the Covid-19 pandemic peaked in many parts of Vietnam, making life tougher for many patients to access hospitals amid lockdowns and travel restrictions. He decided to buy an ambulance that year.
He receives an average of three calls daily requesting ambulance services, regardless of time.
Anh said his happiness comes from the gratitude and words of encouragement he receives from people, especially the unwavering support from his wife. Anh refuses to receive donations from donors at home and abroad, adding that he will definitely keep doing this good deed as long as he can, according to vietnamnet.vn.
