Missed the dream of university life.

(Baonghean) - With both parents having passed away from a terrible cancer, Hoang's already difficult life has become even more miserable as he no longer has anyone to rely on.The promising future that seemed so bright with the acceptance letter from Vinh University now appears incredibly distant due to the worry about where to find the necessary funds for tuition.

The ultimate pain

In late August, while many families were bustling with the excitement of the new school year, we visited the old, dilapidated house of the three siblings, Dang Dang Hoang (born in 1999), nestled on the road in Hamlet 14, Nghi Lien Commune (Vinh City). The old, damp house, with patches of moss growing around the base of the walls, is the only asset Hoang's parents left behind after their death.

Inside the house, there was only a small, rickety bed hidden behind a worn-out curtain, a few small chairs, and a small table with books neatly arranged by Hoang. "I'm planning to wrap them up and give them to the kids in the neighborhood below, sister! I'm not going to study anymore, so why keep them?..." Hoang said, his voice low and sad.

Dang Dang Hoang with his acceptance letter from Vinh University. Photo: Nhu Suong

Hoang poured water for his guest and began to tell me about his family's extremely tragic circumstances. In 2013, when his parents were doing very well financially, his mother fell ill. All their savings were poured into treating his mother's cancer. But unexpectedly, less than 10 months later, his father also fell ill with symptoms of abdominal swelling. With little money to pay for his mother's treatment, which was beyond the means of his family and relatives, Hoang and his two sisters painfully swallowed their tears, unable to do anything to save their parents.

Having lost both parents in an instant to a terrible disease, Hoang's eldest sister, Huyen Trang, a 12th-grade student, had to drop out of school to work and support Hoang and his younger brother, who was in 2nd grade. Just when the family was facing its most desperate situation, good fortune came to Huyen Trang when local charities helped support her with food and education.

Grateful to the kind-hearted people who helped them, all three sisters worked hard in their studies to repay their kindness. At the end of 2015, Huyen Trang passed the entrance exam to the Faculty of Law at Vinh University, while Hoang and her younger brother also strived for high achievements. Besides studying at school, the three sisters also helped each other with housework and gardening to add some vegetables to their meals.

Unfulfilled dreams

But the help was limited, only enough for Trang to complete her four years of university. As for Hoang, the university acceptance letter only added to his sadness, as he worried about where he would get the money for the initial tuition and the expenses for four years of university. August 20th was the enrollment day. However, Hoang could only sit at home, looking up at his parents' altar, hiding his tears.

In the recent university entrance exam, Dang Dang Hoang scored 17.5 points across three subjects: Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry, qualifying him for admission to the Faculty of Civil Engineering, as he had previously applied. Sadly, however, a future that should have been bright has been shattered as he has to hide his acceptance letter and work in the fields helping his older sister weed the rice paddies.

Since their parents passed away, Hoang and his older sister have become the support system for their youngest brother. Photo: Nhu Suong

"Going to school is Hoang's biggest wish, because he says that only through education can he escape poverty and bring peace of mind to his parents. Hoang's dream is to become a construction engineer. But perhaps that wish is difficult to fulfill because he doesn't have the money to pay for tuition."

“These past few days, my older sister has been talking a lot about dropping out of school and working to earn money for my tuition, but I don’t want that. It was so difficult for her to get to where she is now, and she only has a little over a year left until graduation. Let her go to school, and I’ll stay home and work to help support my younger siblings. Later, when we have the means, we can go back to school. But I absolutely cannot let her drop out like that…” – Hoàng’s words trailed off, his broad forehead showing intelligence, but his eyes betrayed a hint of regret.

We parted ways as Hoang was preparing to go pick up her youngest brother from school. Without a father or mother, Hoang had become the pillar and crucial source of emotional support for her sister and brother. Suddenly, I saw Hoang look up at the altar. There, the two portraits of her parents seemed to be watching over every step and action of their unfortunate children. Ahead lies many obstacles and difficulties...

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