"Happiness at the end of the road"

(Baonghean) - Her life has been filled with suffering and misfortune due to early orphanage, forced to work as a servant and suffering from a serious illness, but her passion for life has given her enough strength to overcome and find happiness. She is Vo Thi Loan, a citizen of Quynh Lap leprosy village.

She was engrossed in her old sewing machine, her feet moving steadily on the pedals, her hands following the thread, her eyes never leaving the needle. Around her were old clothes that customers had just brought in for repair. When a stranger unexpectedly visited, Ms. Vo Thi Loan paused her work and smiled in a friendly way instead of saying hello. Then she explained her job: “People here still have a difficult life, so torn or tight clothes are repaired to continue using. Knowing a little about sewing, I accept repairs to earn some extra money, make use of my free time and help people.”

Ms. Vo Thi Loan.

The miserable days

She was born in 1962 in a poor family in Hung Xuan commune (Hung Nguyen), the lower reaches of the Lam river. Her parents were very poor, working hard all day but still could not earn enough to feed their four children, and were often sick. Many years have passed, but she still cannot get rid of the haunting memories of childhood hunger. When she was 9 years old, her parents passed away one after another. Her parents passed away, her family was "broken up", her four siblings were scattered, some were taken in by relatives, some had to work as servants. She alone had to work as a maid for a family in the mountainous district of Tan Ky.

Her daily work was to look after her younger siblings, do the laundry, herd buffalo, cut grass, take care of the pigs... Those jobs, when she was still at home, her parents had taught her so well that it was not difficult. But one night when she woke up, Loan felt numb in her limbs, her whole body ached. At first, she thought it was because she had worked too much the day before that her body was weak, but the next day, and the following days, it was the same. The symptoms even got worse and worse, until her limbs completely lost feeling. She panicked and ran to ask everywhere, when she went to the doctor and received the answer that it was a symptom of leprosy, commonly known as leprosy.

And the doctor advised her to go to Quynh Lap Leprosy Hospital for examination and treatment. She was shocked when she heard this news. She did not understand why the life of that little girl had to endure so much misfortune. Loan packed her belongings and quietly found her way back to Quynh Lap. In her perception, it was a journey filled with pain and despair, a long and lonely road and a lonely body in the middle of life.

Shelter in the leper village

Quynh Lap Leprosy Hospital is located in the middle of a green valley, in front of a wild beach. That day, when she came here, Vo Thi Loan stopped on the beach, sat silently watching countless waves coming to the shore. The young girl felt her heart broken. Then she closed her eyes, the vastness of the ocean was no longer there, only the sound of the waves relentlessly lapping. Yes, even though they reach the shore and then disappear, the waves still create an eternal song. Each person has a life, and needs to do the same, needs to sing their own song, cannot let go, cannot falter...

It was a day around the end of 1982. Her life was associated with Quynh Lap leprosy village, with this wild and beautiful beach. Only then did she realize that around her there were many people suffering from the terrible disease of leprosy, but they still overcame their circumstances, loved life passionately, and many of them found happiness. They were role models that helped her look back at herself, to reduce her worries and sadness, to rise up and assert herself. She realized that 20 years old was still too young, ahead was a long road with many hardships and difficulties, forcing her to strive to find joy. A new journey began...

Ms. Vo Thi Loan and her friend in the same situation in Quynh Lap leprosy village

Compared to many patients being treated at Quynh Lap Leprosy Hospital, Ms. Vo Thi Loan is luckier because her condition is mild and she is young, so her resistance is high. She gets along with everyone, wholeheartedly helps the seriously ill and the elderly, and is trusted and shared by everyone. She also attended literacy classes and soon learned to read and write fluently, and can help others learn to read and write. Immersing herself in the life of the leprosy village, she realized that life has many meaningful things, she must always keep the flame of enthusiasm and love for people in the same situation, and open her heart to the life around her. That is the reason why she met him and became her life partner.

Peaceful harbor

His name is Tran Van Bo (born in 1964), from Ninh Thuan, the end of the “central region” with seemingly endless sand dunes. He is also a leprosy patient, traveling thousands of kilometers to Quynh Lap for treatment. Two young people together, and love came unexpectedly, they decided to join hands to build a family.

The couple borrowed land to build a temporary house and grow vegetables to earn more income. Like many other families in Quynh Lap leprosy village, the couple's life encountered many difficulties and deprivations, because the subsidy was not much and their health was limited. However, with love and determination, they overcame life's obstacles to build a happy home. Especially, since the birth of two boys, Tran Quynh Nguyen and Tran Quynh Van, the small family had the cry of a baby, the hardships and worries increased even more.

She couldn't remember how many times she had to work and run around to earn enough money to buy milk and medicine for her children. Then when her children entered school, money to buy books and contribute was a worry. For healthy parents, it was nothing, but for sick people like her, it was a big problem. She and her husband always encouraged each other to try to overcome, spend economically to raise their children to study, and create a good future for them. Seemingly understanding the hardships and deprivation of their parents, Nguyen and Van were very obedient and studious since childhood. Both of them were healthy and always helped their parents with their work. Looking at her two sons growing up day by day, she felt happy, perhaps the years of suffering and unhappiness had been compensated, her own efforts had been rewarded by life.

Now, after 26 years of living together, the couple has a house, it is not tall, spacious but strong enough to shelter the whole family. The two sons have also grown up and matured. Quynh Nguyen studied cooking and is currently doing an internship. Quynh Van has just passed the university entrance exam but she has temporarily put her dream of studying on hold. Because she understands the difficult family situation, both parents are sick, if she continues studying it will be too much of a burden. Quynh Van is currently working as a worker in Ho Chi Minh City, she is determined to save money to take the university entrance exam in a few years, to continue her dream of studying. "In the blink of an eye, my husband and I have passed the age of 50, the older we get, the more sick we become, the more our health declines. But thinking about the family, thinking about the children, all the fatigue seems to disappear, I just hope they grow up soon..." - Ms. Loan shared.

PHAM TIEN - TUONG ANH