'Agent Orange Girl' inspires with extraordinary determination

(Baonghean.vn) - Her body is constantly tormented by physical pain due to the after-effects of Agent Orange, but anyone who has ever come into contact with Ms. Dau Thi Nga (1983) can feel her optimism and love of life.

“Leave behind the pain. The night will pass. The dawn will rise. My friend, please believe in the future…”, in the small house, Ms. Nga embroidered and sang along to the melodious lyrics of her favorite song - Desire to Live.

Receiving us in a small house built by the Nghe An Provincial Association of Victims of Toxic Chemicals in Hamlet 6, Quynh Van Commune, Quynh Luu District, Ms. Nga said that when she was 3 months old, she had a fever and convulsions, and as she grew older, her limbs kept contracting. When she grew up, she learned that these were the after-effects of Agent Orange due to the influence of her father, who had fought and died for 15 years on the Binh - Tri - Thien battlefield to protect the country's peace.

To have the optimistic smile and embroidery skills as they are now is a long process full of sweat and tears. Looking at the embroidery paintings on the wall, Ms. Nga told us about the battle with herself. When she was a child, when she began to notice the differences compared to her peers, she also became more aware of her disadvantages.

“Seeing my friends playing freely, I wished so much. I wished I could walk on my own two feet. I wished I could go to school once…” Ms. Nga recalls. She really loved going to school, but because of her limited health, she could only watch her friends go to school through the window.

But then she finally found the opportunity to learn to read and write when her younger brother was old enough to go to school. At that time, every evening, when her younger brother sat at the table, she would sit with him so that the two of them could study together.

“Learning to spell and remember letters is not difficult for me, the hardest part is getting my fingers to listen to me. Not only for writing, but also for learning to embroider, learn to knit or for my personal life, I have to practice a lot,” Ms. Nga confided.

Her body gradually shrank over the years, and she could only move one hand flexibly, so she always told herself to be more persistent and try harder than everyone else.

Ms. Nga in the room built and donated by the Nghe An Provincial Association of Victims of Toxic Chemicals. Photo: Chu Thanh

Despite the difficulties, Ms. Nga still smiles at life. Ms. Nga laughs and recalls: “Actually, when I was little, I was very self-conscious. Every time I heard teasing words from ignorant people, I cried and felt extremely self-conscious. However, as I grew up, traveled a lot, encountered more difficult situations, and listened to words of encouragement from many people, I began to regain my faith in life.”

Ms. Nga said that her relationship with embroidery was actually a matter of fate. First, in 2012, a friend suggested that she pursue a career in making paper paintings because it was suitable for her health. After careful research, she decided to ask her parents to let her go to Hanoi to learn the craft.

After finishing her studies, she encountered difficulties from the stage of importing raw materials to the stage of product output, so her activities were only moderate, bringing in very little income. By chance, one time she watched an embroidery training program on TV, she decided to try a new direction.

While others who start learning embroidery often choose easy products, she chooses to embroider the most difficult products, which, as she puts it, “is the challenge”. She spent countless nights groping through books and the internet, and got pricked and bled many times, but she still meticulously completed each stitch.

After nearly a month, she completed her first embroidery and she often jokingly said that it marked an important “milestone” in her career. Her embroidery gradually became known to many people.

Not only stopping at cross-stitch and silk embroidery, Ms. Nga is currently learning traditional embroidery. “Traditional embroidery is the most difficult, because the person doing it has to think of the patterns and color combinations themselves,” Ms. Nga said. Her first traditional embroidery product was apricot and peach blossoms for her mother.

According to Ms. Nga, “I have many jobs now” but the happiest thing is that I can help many people. From 2014 until now, she has taught embroidery many times to friends in the same situation. Even when there are friends who cannot travel, she still records a video to instruct them carefully and sends it to them.

“When I am sad, I make myself happy. I make work fun. If I can’t work, I feel even sadder,” Nga confided with a smile.

Over the years, Ms. Nga's example has spread optimism, love of life and will to live to many people in the same situation in Quynh Luu district; she is a shining example that has been praised many times by the Nghe An Province Association of Agent Orange Victims.

Chu Thanh