The Paralyzed Man's Smooth Path

(Baonghean.vn) - Both his arms and legs are crippled due to muscle atrophy, moving in a wheelchair, but Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hiep has become a famous barber in the area, everyone who sees him admires him.

Watch Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hiep cut hair for a customer:

The house of Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hiep (born in 1963) in Hamlet 12, Tuong Son Commune (Anh Son) is crowded every day, people in the commune come to get a satisfactory haircut, with reasonable wages. For decades, he has been a famous barber in the area, the remarkable thing is that this man's limbs are cramped due to muscular dystrophy since he was 5 years old.

“My story is long, and mostly sad, only in recent years have I had any joy” - Mr. Hiep chatted while cutting hair for a customer. In 1968, when he was just 5 years old, he suddenly had a stomachache that lasted for several days. When the pain went away, his limbs felt weak, sometimes trembling, then aching, the pain became more and more severe, spreading throughout his body. His parents used leaves to massage him but it did not reduce, it seemed like the pain got worse every day.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hiep has a small corner in front of his house to practice hairdressing. On average, about 20 customers come to his shop every day to get their hair cut. Photo: Cong Kien

When his limbs were numb and his whole body could no longer move, his parents took him to the hospital but were helpless. Because the hospital had been evacuated several times during the war, treatment was difficult. Moreover, the family was poor and had many siblings. His parents worked hard all day to make a living, so they had to hold back their tears and watch him suffer from a disability.

His limbs gradually shriveled, until they were just skin and bones, as skinny as dry branches, his body shriveled, and his movements were never so difficult... But fortunately, Nguyen Dinh Hiep's intelligence still developed normally. Whenever his older siblings studied, he quietly observed and listened, and asked his older siblings to explain things he did not understand. Gradually, it became a habit, and studying almost became a daily need.

Despite being cramped due to muscle atrophy, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hiep's hands can still make smooth strokes just like a worker with normal, healthy hands. Photo: Cong Kien

Seeing his friends of the same age going to school every day, Hiep felt so sorry for himself that he cried. Loving his son, his parents did not mind the hardships and difficulties, taking turns carrying him to school every day. For years like that, Nguyen Dinh Hiep persevered with each letter. Until one day his whole body ached, moving became more and more difficult, forcing him to stop on the way to school.

His parents' hair was turning gray, his backs were starting to bend, and his siblings were getting married. Nguyen Dinh Hiep felt sad thinking about his life and his fate. The disabled man wished for a better future, because he knew that his parents would soon pass away, and all his siblings would have their own families, so he had to struggle to build his own lives.

But with a weak body, cramped limbs, and difficulty moving, what suitable job could Mr. Hiep find? One day, seeing his younger brother cutting hair for a neighbor, he observed and found this job suitable for him. From then on, he practiced cutting hair, his crippled, cramped hands at first had difficulty holding scissors and clippers, his fingers ached, and his back was also sore.

Mr. Hiep's cramped hands hold the clippers and combs very precisely, customers who come to him always get the hair they want. Photo: Cong Kien

The job was not easy, there were times when he thought he would have to give up, but he gritted his teeth in the face of the numbing pain, patiently pulling each stroke. In the end, those efforts were rewarded, his scissors became more and more smooth, the hair he cut became more and more beautiful, and customers liked it. Up to now, his hands holding the scissors and the hair clipper have become truly skillful.

At first, only people in the neighborhood came to him for a haircut, then “good news spread far and wide”, many people in the commune came to him to get the haircut they wanted, now Mr. Hiep is a famous barber and has been in the profession for many years. Customers come to him partly because they want to get beautiful hair, and partly because they want to support a disabled person with a strong will to live.

Barber clothes of Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hiep. Photo: Cong Kien

So life did not take everything away, Mr. Hiep was compensated with a suitable job to earn a living, not only enough to support himself but also to help him accumulate a little capital. And more happily, there was a woman who truly loved him and was willing to share the bitterness and sweetness of life with him. That woman was Mrs. Pham Thi Minh, a completely healthy person.

Feeling sorry for his situation, Mrs. Minh accepted his proposal without hesitation, even though she knew that there would be many hardships ahead. After more than 10 years of living together, Mr. Hiep and his wife have built a small, sturdy house and given birth to 3 children (2 boys, 1 girl), all of whom are healthy, obedient, and know how to love their parents.

Every day, Mr. Hiep cuts hair and sells groceries to earn a living, while Mrs. Minh works hard in the fields to have enough to eat. Life is still difficult and hard, but the family home is always filled with laughter...

Cong Kien