The finely drawn lines of the paralyzed man

(Baonghean.vn) - With both his arms and legs contracted due to muscular atrophy, and confined to a wheelchair, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hiep has become a renowned barber in the region, earning the admiration of everyone who witnesses his work.

Watch Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hiep cutting a customer's hair:

The house of Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hiep (born in 1963) in Hamlet 12, Tuong Son Commune (Anh Son District) is always crowded with customers, people from the commune coming to get their desired haircuts at reasonable prices. For decades, he has been a famous barber in the area. Remarkably, this man suffers from muscle atrophy, a condition affecting his limbs since he was only 5 years old, causing muscle spasms.

“My story is long, and mostly sad; it’s only in recent years that I’ve had any joy,” Mr. Hiep said while cutting a customer’s hair. In 1968, when he was just five years old, he suddenly suffered from excruciating stomach pains that lasted for several days. When the pain subsided, his hands and feet felt weak, sometimes trembling uncontrollably, and then aching, the pain worsening and spreading throughout his body. His parents used herbal remedies to massage him, but it didn’t help; in fact, it seemed to get worse each day.

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hiep has set aside a small corner in front of his house to practice his barbershop. On average, about 20 customers come to his shop for haircuts every day. Photo: Cong Kien

When his limbs became numb and he could no longer move his whole body, his parents took him to the hospital, but they were powerless to help. Because of the war, the hospital had been evacuated several times, making treatment difficult. Furthermore, their family was poor, with many siblings, and his parents toiled tirelessly to make ends meet, so they could only watch helplessly as their son suffered from his disability.

His limbs gradually withered away, until they were nothing but skin and bones, as thin as dry twigs. His body was emaciated, and movement and locomotion had never been so difficult... But thankfully, Nguyen Dinh Hiep's intellect continued to develop normally. Whenever his older siblings studied, he would quietly observe and listen, asking them to explain anything he didn't understand. Over time, this became a habit, and studying almost became a daily necessity.

Despite being crippled by muscular atrophy, Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hiep's hands still perform the same skillful scissor movements as a craftsman with healthy, normal hands. Photo: Cong Kien

Seeing his peers going to school every day, Hiep felt so sad he wanted to cry. Out of love for their son, his parents, undeterred by hardship, took turns carrying him to school every day. For years, Nguyen Dinh Hiep persevered with his studies. Until one day, his whole body ached, and movement became increasingly difficult, forcing him to stop going to school.

With graying hair on his parents' heads, their backs beginning to hunch over, and his siblings starting to get married, Nguyen Dinh Hiep felt a pang of sadness reflecting on his own life and fate. The disabled man longed for a better future, knowing that his parents would eventually pass away, and his siblings would all have their own families, so he had to steel himself to build his own life.

But with his frail physique, deformed limbs, and difficulty moving, what suitable job could Mr. Hiep find? One day, seeing his younger brother cutting a neighbor's hair, he observed carefully and realized this job suited him. From then on, he practiced hairdressing. Initially, his disabled, deformed hands found it very difficult to hold scissors and clippers; his fingers ached, and his back was also exhausted.

Mr. Hiep's gnarled hands grip the clippers and comb with precision, ensuring his clients always get the haircut they desire. Photo: Cong Kien

The work wasn't easy; there were times when he felt like giving up, but he gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain, and patiently continued with each snip of the scissors. Finally, his efforts paid off. His scissor skills improved, and the haircuts he gave became increasingly beautiful and popular with customers. Today, his hands, which hold scissors and clippers, are truly masterful.

Initially, only people from the neighborhood came to him for haircuts, but then "word spread," and many people in the commune sought him out to get their desired hairstyle. Now, Mr. Hiep is a well-known and long-standing barber. Customers come to him partly for beautiful haircuts, and partly to support a disabled person with a strong will to live.

The barber's equipment of Mr. Nguyen Dinh Hiep. Photo: Cong Kien

So, life didn't take everything away. Mr. Hiep was compensated with a suitable job to make a living, not only enough to support himself but also to help him accumulate some savings. Even more happily, he found a woman who truly loved him and was willing to share the ups and downs of life with him. That woman was Mrs. Pham Thi Minh, a perfectly healthy woman.

Out of compassion for his situation, Mrs. Minh accepted his marriage proposal without hesitation, even knowing that many difficulties lay ahead. After more than 10 years of marriage, Mr. Hiep and his wife have built a small but sturdy house and have three healthy and well-behaved children (two boys and one girl) who love their parents.

Every day, Mr. Hiep cuts hair and sells groceries to earn a living, while Mrs. Minh works tirelessly in the fields to provide enough food for the family. Life is still full of hardships and difficulties, but the family's home is always filled with laughter...

Cong Kien