Girl infected with Agent Orange overcomes pain of disability

Born into a family of 3 children, Pham Thi Cam Nam (born in 1980) is the eldest child and also the one who suffers the most. Due to the effects of Agent Orange from her father, Nam is not as healthy as other children.

For over 40 years, with her legs atrophied, cramped, unable to walk, it seemed like her life was like a parasitic plant living off others. However, with extraordinary will and effort, she "stood up" in a wheelchair to sell tea on the sidewalk every day... and then became the pillar of the family.

Due to the effects of Agent Orange from his father, Nam has not been as healthy as other children for over 40 years, with shrunken, cramped legs. Photo: Thu Huong

Witnessing the disabled girl, weighing about 20 kg, selling tea every day to make a living, many people could not help but be moved. According to Ms. Nam, her father, Mr. Pham Van Duong, had participated in the war in the Southern battlefield and was exposed to toxic chemicals. Returning to his hometown with many wounds on his body, he still strongly overcame his circumstances to raise his children. Her mother used to be a road worker, now old, weak, and constantly sick, having to take medicine every day. Her two younger siblings have grown up and live separately, while she lives with her parents.

To help her family make ends meet, she rented a room in Hung Phuc ward to sell tea. Every morning, Nam set up a tea stall on the sidewalk of Nguyen Sy Sach street to serve regular customers. Because her limbs were not as healthy as others, her father helped her with the process of boiling water and stewing tea. In winter, she switched to selling ginger tea and hot tea.

Before the Covid-19 outbreak, she could save 3 million VND per month to buy medicine for her mother; however, during this time, due to the impact of the epidemic, her income is somewhat limited. In addition to selling tea, she goes online to learn more about recruitment services, house cleaning, taxis, motorbike taxis... that need workers to connect with people in need of jobs.

When Nam's father was busy, people helped Nam push the cart from the motel to the cafe. Photo: Thu Huong

“There are many Agent Orange victims of my generation who are also lying in bed, no longer human... like me, we are still luckier, so we have to encourage ourselves to try harder and find a job to make a living,” Ms. Nam shared.

Witnessing Ms. Nam's daily life, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien - the owner of the house said: "Among the families who come to rent a house, Ms. Nam's situation is the most difficult. When the families are gathering for dinner, Ms. Nam has just finished cleaning up her tea shop to go home, sometimes at 9-10 pm she can eat dinner. The next morning, she wakes up very early to boil water and stew the tea. Because of her difficult situation, for many months I have not collected rent to support Nam in life."

Mr. Ta Quang Du - Chairman of the Association of Victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin in Vinh City (Nghe An) said: "Although Ms. Pham Thi Cam Nam's health is not as good as others', she has strongly risen up in life. Her story of overcoming difficulties shows that people with disabilities are not useless. On the contrary, each person with disabilities, with determination, can completely stand on their own two feet. If life takes away the health of victims of Agent Orange, it gives them an extraordinary will to live, with a heart of sharing to overcome difficulties and become typical examples in everyday life."