The orphan girl's will

(Baonghean) - Born in 2000 in hamlet 3, Thanh Son mountainous commune (Anh Son), Cao Thi Thuy Trang is the only daughter in a family with difficult circumstances: Both parents are sick, often sick, so from a young age Trang had to be independent in studying and living. At the age of 10, her mother suffered from mental illness and left. 2 years later, her father passed away, she lived with her grandparents.

Overcoming the pain, Trang continued to go to school, did housework and took care of her grandmother who had bone cancer. Last September, her beloved grandmother also could not overcome the serious illness and since then Trang and her grandfather moved to live with her uncle's family, who is also a poor family in the neighborhood. Not only did she suffer many losses after the passing of her relatives, Trang herself also suffered from congenital psoriasis. For the past 14 years, her toes and fingers have often peeled and hurt, causing her a lot of difficulties in daily life as well as studying.

I am Cao Thi Thuy Trang.

Despite her difficult circumstances, Thuy Trang has demonstrated admirable determination. For her, studying is the only way to overcome difficulties, to escape poverty, to repay the kindness of her relatives. With that thought in mind, she is determined to study well. Trang always attends class on time, attentively listens to her teachers. After stressful study hours, returning home, the young student is responsible for helping her uncle's family with housework, and spends time tutoring her uncle's two younger siblings who are in elementary school. Although she lacked the care and attention of her parents early on, during the previous 7 years of school, from elementary school to middle school, Trang was an excellent student of the school and achieved high results in many district-level competitions for excellent students.

At the primary level, from grade 3 to grade 5, every year Trang was a member of Thanh Son Primary School's team participating in the district's excellent student competition in both Math and Vietnamese. At the secondary level, Trang won third prize in Literature in grade 6 and second prize in Math in grade 7 in the district's excellent student competition. Currently, Trang is a member of the Math and Chemistry team participating in the upcoming district's excellent student competition. Trang's spirit of overcoming difficulties and studying well was praised by the school and the neighbors took it as an example to remind their children to follow.

Talking about her little student, Ms. Nguyen Thach Anh - homeroom teacher of class 8B said: "Trang always has a sense of learning, is diligent, hard-working, and gets along well with her friends. Not only is she a good student, has many achievements, and is an active member in the movement activities launched by the school, Trang also often helps students with weak academic performance in the class."

Thanks to her excellent academic achievements as well as her efforts in the Team movements, Trang has received certificates of merit and gifts from the school, social organizations, and philanthropists. Most recently, at the beginning of the 2014-2015 school year, Trang received a bicycle from the Department of Education and Training in collaboration with Nghe An Telecommunications Company under the "Support to School" program. Mr. Nguyen Huu Hong - Principal of Thanh Son Secondary School added: "In front of Cao Thi Thuy Trang's determination to overcome her circumstances to study and practice well, every year, the school allocates a support fund to help her reduce some of the difficulties in life and encourage her to study. In addition, the Party Cell, the school's Trade Union, and the class also join hands to support her spiritually and materially so that she can continue studying. In addition, every year the Thanh Son Commune Education Promotion Fund also supports her to encourage her to try hard to study."

Hopefully in the future, Thuy Trang will receive more practical support and encouragement like this so that she can continue to study well and pursue her dream of becoming a doctor to treat the poor, "so that no child will be orphaned because of their parents' illness" as Trang confided.

Article and photos:

Minh Quan