Three destinies and one home

(Baonghean) - Three people, three unfortunate destinies, lacking both physical and mental abilities. This brought them together, allowing them to live under one roof and build a home filled with love and happiness.

Mr. and Mrs. Truong are very happy to have baby Nhan.

The small house of Mr. Nguyen Van Truong (born in 1974) and Mrs. Vuong Thi Ky (born in 1983) is located near the end of an alley in Dong Tho neighborhood, Hung Dung ward (Vinh City). This neighborhood still retains many traces of the countryside, with rice paddies, bamboo groves surrounding the houses, and winding paths embracing vegetable gardens and fruit trees... Seeing visitors enter, Mrs. Ky cheerfully said, "Please understand, the house is low and small, so it's very hot. My husband and I are trying to save up to renovate it to make it more airy and cool, but we haven't been able to yet. Maybe we'll have to wait until our son is a little older..." From the back of the house, Mr. Truong walked in, his steps extremely difficult, but his face still radiant, and he greeted us—his greetings were barely audible. His wife explained, "He's had a disability since childhood; his vocal cords and jaw muscles are damaged, so he has great difficulty speaking. We have to listen to him many times before we can understand."

The pain of disability

Truong was born into a family with three siblings, and he was the youngest. When he was a child, he once had a boil on his neck. His father used a heated iron rod to treat it, claiming it was a folk remedy. Decades have passed, but Truong still vividly remembers the burning and excruciating pain, so intense that he almost fainted. When he woke up, the pain didn't subside; it became even more agonizing and unbearable. He tried to cry to ease the pain, but his breath was suddenly blocked in his throat, right where the red-hot iron rod had caused the wound. He wanted to call out, "Mom!" to receive more love, care, and support, but he was powerless; the wound had blocked his breath. When they realized their son had lost his voice, his parents took him to the hospital for treatment. The doctor concluded that the heated iron rod had severely damaged his larynx, and the risk of permanent voice loss was very high. Despite attempts at treatment, Mr. Ky could only pronounce words indistinctly, his jaw muscles becoming increasingly stiff, making pronunciation even more difficult. As a result, Mr. Truong became a child with a speech impediment, living with low self-esteem and reluctance to interact with friends and others. His feelings of inferiority and self-doubt grew, along with his sadness and suffering. He lost his appetite, his body gradually wasted away, and he spent his days confined to his house...

Nguyen Van Truong's misfortunes didn't end there. Before one pain could subside, another struck. Shortly after suffering a vocal cord injury, his limbs began to atrophy, causing excruciating pain and difficulty in movement. This time, doctors diagnosed him with muscular atrophy of unknown cause, making treatment extremely difficult. His family's circumstances were dire, and coupled with this life-threatening illness, Truong's parents could only watch helplessly as their only son suffered from disability, writhing in pain from his illness. But the physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional anguish. Severe muscular atrophy almost meant complete paralysis, making movement incredibly difficult and painful. Even more agonizing was the near loss of his future, as a disabled person would find it incredibly hard to make a living, and even harder to find happiness.

Initially, Nguyen Van Truong was consumed by grief and despair, spending his days lying in bed waiting for his parents to help him up for meals. As his emotional pain subsided, he began to accept reality and see it as fate's arrangement. Concerned about his aging parents, whose hair had turned gray, Truong thought about the time he would have to get up to comfort and support them. He realized that, according to the laws of life, his parents would grow old and eventually return to their ancestors; there would be no one left to care for them, no one to prepare meals for them. Thinking of this, Truong became even more determined to get up and take care of himself. He started by crawling, dragging himself along on his hands and feet, then taking hesitant steps, the pain piercing his bones and heart. After years of persistent practice, Truong was finally able to walk around the house and help his mother cook and sweep, even though his small legs were cramped and his arms were thin and bony like dry twigs. Then the father passed away, and the two sisters left the house one after another, leaving only the elderly mother and her disabled child.

Secret wish

Nguyen Van Truong's life seemed destined to be forever confined to his small house at the end of a deep alley in Dong Tho ward, relying on his poor elderly mother. Many wondered what would become of Truong after his mother's death, and where he would go. This was also a constant worry for his mother in her final years. Fortunately, luck came to Truong, taking his life in a different direction when a student living nearby introduced him to a girl from the "rice-growing countryside." Similarly, Vuong Thi Ky, from Hong Thanh commune (Yen Thanh district), faced an unfortunate fate. Less than half a day after birth, Ky suddenly suffered seizures, and her parents rushed her to the hospital. Her life was saved, but not long after, her parents discovered that one of her legs was not developing normally, being smaller and shorter than the other.

Like most people with disabilities, Vuong Thi Ky couldn't escape feelings of inferiority and self-consciousness about her physical disability, especially when walking in the schoolyard. Teased by her friends, Ky often ran home to hug her mother and ask, "Why are my legs disabled? Will my legs ever be healthy like my friends'?" Her mother, with tears streaming down her face, could only stroke her daughter's head and comfort her, "When you grow up, your legs will be healthy like theirs!" And as she grew older, understanding her situation, Vuong Thi Ky knew that her disability would stay with her for the rest of her life. Despite the sadness and disappointment, this girl from the "rice-growing countryside" learned to accept and overcome life's challenges. With a slightly uneven gait, Ky was proficient in everything from household chores to farming, not inferior to any other girl in the village.

Her peers were getting married one after another, having children, and enjoying warm, happy families. At times, Ky felt a pang of sadness thinking about her own situation and secretly wishing for the same. She kept this secret to herself, not daring to confide in or share it with anyone, not even her closest friends. When someone introduced her to Truong's circumstances and aspirations, her heart stirred, and she thought about it deeply. She knew that being with him would bring more hardship and difficulty, as she would become the pillar of support for a disabled man, while she herself was also disabled. But she also longed for her own happiness, a family of her own to care for and support, and a child to nurture and cherish. She hoped to be a loving mother and a devoted wife. That was why she accepted his proposal, leaving her "rice-growing hometown" to become a daughter-in-law in Vinh City.

Enduring belief

One day in mid-2006, the two held their wedding ceremony amidst the overwhelming joy of both families, friends, and neighbors. The wedding was attended by many, all wanting to witness their happiness and send their blessings to the disabled couple. Everyone believed that, despite their physical disabilities, their hearts remained whole and always full of sincere love, a yearning for happiness, and empathy and sharing. This was the motivation that helped them overcome the difficulties and obstacles on their journey to building happiness and a family home. After moving to Vinh City to become a wife and daughter-in-law, Ms. Vuong Thi Ky continued her work in the fields, assisting her mother-in-law with heavy chores, and diligently caring for her husband whenever he suffered from pain. She was always regarded as a virtuous wife and a dutiful daughter-in-law.

The whole family eagerly awaited good news, hoping that Truong and Ky's love would bear fruit. But they waited and waited, and Ky still didn't feel any changes in her body, no signs of a "new life" forming. In 2009, Truong's mother passed away, too weak to wait any longer for a grandchild. Inevitably, they were worried and saddened, but they always comforted and encouraged each other to persevere, never giving up hope that God would be merciful and grant them a child. Eight years after their marriage, the good news still hadn't arrived, their hope still unfulfilled. Ky discussed with her husband that they couldn't wait any longer; they should adopt a child to ease the loneliness in their home, to lessen their sadness, and to provide support in their twilight years. Her words reflected her husband's long-held thoughts, and without hesitation, he agreed. A few months later, with the help of an acquaintance, the couple completed the adoption process for a baby boy who had been abandoned by his parents.

Naming their son Nguyen Van Nhan, Mr. Truong and Mrs. Ky entrusted him with many good wishes for the future, for the character and virtues of a child who, though not their own flesh and blood, they would nurture and educate for life. With the addition of a new little member to their family, the sound of a baby's cries filled their lives with meaning. The joy and happiness strengthened their love and sense of responsibility towards each other, and their health seemed to improve day by day. When Nhan first came to live with Mr. Truong and Mrs. Ky, he was still a newborn; now, at 14 months old, he can walk steadily. Watching their child grow day by day, the couple cannot hide their joy and happiness. The family's livelihood depends on Mrs. Ky's hard work, her two plots of land, over 100 chickens, and a small disability allowance. Life is still difficult, but there is never a quarrel in the house, only the laughter and cries of the child and the comforting words of his parents.

As we bid farewell to Mr. Truong's family, we firmly believe that their happy home will remain strong and enduring. This is because their hearts are always filled with love and an unceasing desire to achieve their dreams.

Cong Kien