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(Baonghean) - Every year, hundreds of underprivileged children in the province receive support and assistance from domestic and international organizations, including surgical treatment for eye diseases, congenital heart defects, and cleft lip and palate. Thanks to this collective effort, happiness has smiled upon these disadvantaged children...

One morning in mid-July, we visited the family of Nguyen Thi Trung in Tan Ha hamlet, Vo Liet commune, Thanh Chuong district. Slender but quite agile, Trung diligently cleans the house and tends to the chickens and ducks. Looking at her bright and lively face, few would know that she was born with a congenital disability. From birth, her legs were deformed. Even more tragically, her mother abandoned the family when she was only about two months old. It wasn't until she was two years old that she took her first tentative steps on her knees.

FishermanDespite working tirelessly, the father could only barely provide for the daily needs of the family (with his elderly mother and two young children). Not to mention the countless times he had to scramble for medicine for his sickly daughter. Nguyen Van Long (Trung's father) never once imagined his daughter would walk on healthy legs. Happiness smiled upon her when the Provincial Children's Protection Fund organized a screening in Thanh Chuong, and Trung was examined and diagnosed. Even more fortunately, the fund connected her with Dr. Le Duc To, Director of Phuong Dong Orthopedic and Trauma Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, who performed the surgery on her.

Sympathizing with the difficult circumstances of the disabled girl, the "Lending a Helping Hand" charity organization provided 70% of the surgery costs. The remaining amount was covered by donations from benevolent individuals, allowing the girl to receive treatment. In the summer of 2009, when Trung was four years old, her father took her to Ho Chi Minh City for knee surgery. Afterward, she diligently practiced physical therapy exercises at the fund's treatment center. Now, she can walk on her own and attend school with her friends every day. For her family, it's truly a miracle. "I never dreamed that my daughter could stand and walk. But now she can take care of herself, help her father with housework, and go to school like her friends. Now, benefactors continue to support her education, giving her a chance to succeed..." her father said, his eyes welling up with tears of happiness.

The Provincial Children's Protection Fund collaborated in organizing screening examinations for children with disabilities.

Another miraculous story, also written by love, is that of Dang Thuy Duong (4 years old) from Hamlet 7, Quynh Ngoc Commune (Quynh Luu District). Diagnosed with a heart condition since birth, her parents had to sell their inherited land for nearly 40 million VND to pay for her heart surgery. Afterward, they had to take her to Hanoi every month for regular check-ups; the travel and medication costs were exorbitant, and her condition only improved temporarily before recurring. Her mitral valve regurgitation meant she was constantly fighting for her life. In just three years, she underwent four surgeries. Sympathizing with the family's difficult circumstances, philanthropists have been wholeheartedly supportive. Each time she underwent surgery, she received support from generous donors. Ms. Tran Thi Duyen, Thuy Duong's mother, choked up when mentioning the empathy and love the community has shown her family: "My family truly appreciates the kind hearts that have helped, cared for, and given my child a chance to live. Because without that great help, my family would have been helpless..."

Although she also suffered from congenital heart disease, due to her family's extreme poverty and lack of resources for regular health checkups, Le Thi Hien, from Hamlet 4, Hung Trung Commune (Hung Nguyen District), was only diagnosed at the age of 12 during a free screening organized at her school. She is the eighth child in a family with two older siblings who are disabled and unable to work, and her parents are farmers, making their life extremely difficult. From a young age, Hien was frail and weak due to her illness, and her parents lacked the means to care for her. Even in 6th grade, she weighed just over 20 kg, making her the smallest in her class. However, her parents were unaware that she had severe heart failure. Upon discovering their daughter's condition, but facing overwhelming financial difficulties, her parents submitted a plea for help.

Moved by her difficult circumstances, the "Understanding the Heart" volunteer group, along with several other benefactors, raised nearly 30 million VND to support her surgery. In early 2015, with the help of the community, Hien underwent surgery. Now, she is healthier, no longer experiencing chest tightness or shortness of breath during exercise or when the weather changes. Her family and parents have been relieved of a burden that they knew they could never have overcome, no matter how hard they tried.

The acts of kindness and compassion shown by volunteers, accompanying those disadvantaged and unfortunate, are the "flames" that ignite in these children a belief in and love for life. Among the benefactors who have been closely associated with disabled children in Nghe An for many years, is Dr. Le Duc To, Director of Phuong Dong Orthopedic and Trauma Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. Although in his sixties, Dr. To remains dedicated to his charitable work, which he considers his "mission" as a physician. For nearly a decade, he has regularly returned to Nghe An 2-3 times a year to participate in screening programs and collaborate with several medical facilities in the province to directly perform surgeries on dozens of children with motor disabilities.

For children with special disabilities, he refers them to the Phuong Dong Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, where he manages facilities equipped with modern equipment for direct surgery and treatment. On average, his hospital receives support each year to perform surgery on 1-5 children with motor disabilities from Nghe An province. Not only does he directly perform surgery on these children, but this compassionate doctor also personally organizes and connects them with the "Lend a Helping Hand" charity (a charity of over 20 overseas Vietnamese) to help underprivileged children. Thanks to this, the "Lend a Helping Hand" charity has been involved in surgical and orthopedic programs for disabled children since 2008. Each year, the charity provides funding for surgery for 80-100 disabled children. Sharing about his meaningful and practical work in helping underprivileged children, Dr. Le Duc To confided: "There is no greater happiness than seeing children regain their health, confidence, and joy, and easing the burden on their families and society. That motivates me to always strive to contribute to charitable activities for children."

Currently, there are still over 12,000 disabled children in the province, facing particularly difficult circumstances. These young lives desperately need compassionate hands and kind hearts to help and support them, enabling them to integrate into the community and thrive in life. We believe that many more "real-life fairy tales" will be written through acts of kindness. It's not just about giving them legs to walk, healthy hearts, and intact smiles; the love of the community also instills in them faith and strength to overcome challenges. And each child whose life is transformed will deeply cherish this noble love, learning to share love and live compassionately with others.

Dinh Nguyet