The miracle of a woman who used to have to sit in one place

(Baonghean) - Arriving in Chau Thuan commune (Quy Chau) and asking about Ms. Nam's house in Nong Hao village, the villagers also admired and told the story of how Ms. Nam used extraordinary willpower to overcome the misfortune of fate.

As the fifth child in a family of 9 siblings, Cam Thi Nam (born in 1975) was born as healthy as any other child. Because of the family's poverty, none of her 9 siblings were able to go to school. At the age of 13, when puberty suddenly came to the girl with a gentle, kind oval face, Nam was also the time when disaster struck. After just one night of high fever, Nam could no longer sit up by herself.

Due to the poverty, hardship and limited knowledge, at that time, no one in the family knew what illness she had; the family did not have money to take Nam to the hospital for treatment. And from that fateful night, Cam Thi Nam was forced to spend the rest of her childhood on a rickety bed in the corner of the house. Nam could not do any personal activities by herself. She cried countless nights and days, but all of that could not make up for or change her fate, especially in this desolate and dangerous place.

Ms. Cam Thi Nam diligently works at the sewing table. Photo: Luong Nga.

It was not until Cam Thi Nam turned 20, the most beautiful age of a girl's life, that every day she saw her niece half lying, half sitting by the window sadly, that her uncle's family felt so sorry that they decided to borrow money to take Nam to the hospital. The doctors determined that Nam had a dislocated hip joint; treatment was difficult because it had taken too long, and could only partially fix it. However, Nam was still silently grateful to her uncle and neighbors for their help and love over a long period of time. Everyone's concern also helped Nam calm down.

After returning from the hospital, knowing that it would be difficult to stand on her own two feet, but at this moment, Nam thought differently. She had to stand, had to walk - that was Nam's determination. With her determination, she received the wholehearted help of everyone in the family. Falling down and getting up again, just like that, Nam gritted her teeth and hobbled her first steps. Her hands were calloused from having to support her entire body falling down hundreds of times, her knees had to be bandaged countless times because of slipping and falling. After nearly 1,000 days of perseverance with sweat and tears, Nam was able to stand and walk on her own. That was her greatest happiness after months of fighting the disease and overcoming herself.

The house is the result of Cam Thi Nam's efforts over the past decades. Photo: Luong Nga.

Although she was able to move around, what she was worried about was that she still had no job that suited her health and conditions to earn a living and take care of herself for a long time. Then, luck smiled on her. It seemed to be a fair arrangement from heaven after the misfortunes and disadvantages she had experienced. A man from the lowlands came to Quy Chau to open a tailoring shop. Sympathizing with the situation of the beautiful girl, he taught her the tailoring profession.

However, this profession is not easy to learn. In the early days, because she had to sit on a high chair for a long time and put all her strength into her legs to pedal the machine, there were times when Ms. Nam felt like she was about to collapse. Then there were times when her fingers bled from being pricked by needles. But all of that did not discourage her, she continued to work hard on the sewing table. After two months of studying at night and during the day, Ms. Nam had her first product. Day by day, her needle and stitches became more and more perfect. Her crippled legs also gradually got used to the sewing machine pedals.

When she became a professional, Cam Thi Nam opened a small tailoring shop in her family. The reputation of the disabled girl's skills in the poor village reached everyone, many people came to Nong Hao village to meet Nam to order clothes. With many customers, her income became more stable and better. Her average monthly income was 2.5 million VND, this amount she used to help her parents take care of her younger siblings. By 2002, after only 4 years of saving, Nam had enough money to build a level 4 house and move out to continue her work.

Ms. Nam and her two daughters. Photo: Luong Nga.

As a woman, who doesn't long for a home, a family and a shoulder to lean on when the weather changes? Cam Thi Nam is the same. She couldn't help but feel sad when she saw her friends in the village all had their own homes, some of them were busy with husbands and children. And then happiness and love also came to the mountain girl's heart. One day in the fall of 2006, Nam met a young man named Vi Van Tuyen, from Ke Ninh village, Chau Hanh commune (Quy Chau), who came to Nong Hao village, her hometown, to do business. Moved by the gentle girl who endured misfortune, he came to her. A year later, their wedding was held in joy, with the blessings of relatives on both sides and neighbors. Two daughters were born, the result of their love in the high mountains and deep streams.

However, the family's life ahead is still full of difficulties as Vi Van Tuyen is often sick. Ms. Nam has to work, take care of her husband and raise her children alone. As for Mr. Tuyen, whenever he is well, he still tries to run around and work for hire to help his wife. To make life less difficult, in addition to sewing, the couple also expanded their livestock farming and opened a grocery store to serve the needs of the villagers. Now Ms. Nam's family has built a house, a real home that she has dreamed of for so long. Not only that, Ms. Nam's house is considered the most beautiful and spacious in the Thai village here.

And people in the village still tell the story of Ms. Nam as a miracle of Nong Hao.

Luong Nga - Dao Tuan