The disabled young man conquers his dream.

(Baonghean) - Born with the "pain of Agent Orange," Hoàng Văn Ân has suffered from disabilities his entire life, yet he has relentlessly strived to find a better future. Those who have met him are amazed by the extraordinary willpower of this man who cannot stand on his own two feet but still yearns to acquire knowledge. He is a former student of FPT University.

The small house of Mr. Hoang Van Thai (born in 1952) is located in Hamlet 5, Nghi Xa Commune (Nghi Loc District), welcoming the cool breeze blowing in from the sea. In the small room, Hoang Van An (born in 1987) is engrossed in his computer, designing an advertising sign for a business near his home.

Mr. and Mrs. Hoang Van Thai are always by their son's side, despite his disability. Photo: Cong Khang

Mr. Thai confided, "She's the youngest in the family. Her siblings are all healthy and have their own families. Only she was born with a disability. The doctor said it's due to exposure to Agent Orange from her father. During the war against the Americans, I fought on the Quang Tri battlefield, marching through deforested areas..." When she was born, An showed unusual signs; she didn't cry and refused to breastfeed, causing her family to worry and panic, and they tried everything to save her.

For several days, his body turned increasingly purple, and everyone thought he wouldn't survive. Hearing the news, a relative came and placed some pills on him. At night, he cried and searched for his mother's breast. More than a week after birth, because the baby wasn't nursing, Mrs. Hoang Thi Dinh (born in 1955) had run out of milk, and the mother had to endure another painful ordeal of trying to breastfeed to save her child.

At less than four months old, baby An lay screaming, writhing and trembling. Doctors diagnosed him with intestinal obstruction, and an emergency surgery was performed, removing 90cm of his intestine. Once again, An faced death, and his family had prepared for the worst.

But he stayed with his parents, testing his will to live, his courage, and the love and care of his family. That life-or-death surgery saved his life, but it left Hoang Van An frail; his legs and left arm gradually atrophied and became deformed. He couldn't turn over, sit up, or walk like normal children; all his movements depended on the help of his family members...

When An reached school age, seeing her peers being bought new clothes, school bags, and books by their parents, she also longed to go to school. But seeing their disabled child, with one arm crippled, both legs stiff and almost fused together, having to move using only her right hand and head, and lacking strength, Mr. and Mrs. Thai resolutely refused to let their daughter attend class.

An cried and begged for a whole week, and finally, her parents relented. Out of love for their daughter, Mr. Thai and his wife bought her school supplies, even though they knew the road ahead would be very difficult. During An's elementary school years, Mr. Thai and Mrs. Dinh took turns carrying her to school every day, enduring countless rainy seasons with muddy roads, cold seasons with biting winds, and hot seasons with scorching hot winds from Laos.

When he entered junior high school, the distance to school increased, so the father took his disabled son to class on an old bicycle. He placed his son on the rear rack and used a rubber band to secure An's disabled legs to ensure safety, because if his legs were left loose, they would dangle, posing a high risk of getting caught in the moving wheels. With his poor health and the difficulty of sitting properly to study, keeping up with the curriculum was a huge challenge for An.

By diligently listening to his teachers' lectures, using his healthy right hand to take thorough notes, and studying further at home using textbooks, he not only kept up with his classmates but also ranked among the top students in the class. During this time, An was always encouraged and supported by his teacher, Phan Thi Man, on his journey of seeking knowledge. Even now, many years later, Ms. Man's kind, affectionate, and close gestures remain vivid and fresh in the memory of this unfortunate student.

On his journey to school, there were times when An was sick and had to miss long periods of time. When he recovered, he longed to return to class. At such times, his parents would try to dissuade him, but An would cry and crawl to the main road just to see his friends going to school. After several days like that, his hands and feet bleeding, his clothes torn, and once again, Mr. and Mrs. Thai had to give in to their son's wish.

Everyone thought that after finishing junior high school, An would voluntarily stop because the school was further away, the amount of knowledge increased, and the pressure was intense. Unexpectedly, An still asked to continue his studies. Mr. Thai had to scramble to buy a motorbike so he could take his son to school every day. Then, the three years of high school passed with all the hardships and worries of his parents, and everyone was happy for An. Because a disabled person had pursued education all the way to the end of high school, something few people in his circumstances could achieve.

Hoang Van An designed the advertisement. Photo: Cong Khang

But his aspirations didn't stop there. Hoang Van An took the entrance exam and was accepted into FPT University. Many people came to congratulate and encourage Mr. and Mrs. Thai to create favorable conditions for their son to continue his higher education. Upon hearing the news, Mr. Phan Dinh Trac, then Chairman of the People's Committee of Nghe An province, also came to encourage him and gave him a laptop to help with his studies.

However, Mr. and Mrs. Thai couldn't help but feel confused and anxious. This time, their son wasn't studying in their village or district, but in Hanoi, more than 300 kilometers from home. The expenses were high, and who would be there to help with living expenses and meals? After a week of deliberation, Mr. Thai finally decided that Mrs. Dinh would accompany their son to support him during his university years, while he would stay home to work in the fields, find a way to make a living, and save money to send to them each month.

Life was already difficult, but now it became even harder. The father worked tirelessly from morning till night to earn money, yet it wasn't enough; he had to mortgage his house to borrow money to send to his daughter. Meanwhile, the mother followed her daughter to the capital, working odd jobs to make ends meet and ease the burden on her husband at home. Mrs. Dinh only wished time would pass quickly so that An could graduate soon, and she could return to her family and work alongside her husband. Two long years passed, and then luck came to Mrs. Dinh when a humanitarian center assigned someone to help An with her daily activities.

In 2013, Hoang Van An graduated from FPT University with a major in Graphic Design. Since then, he has been designing advertisements for acquaintances in the area. His income is meager, but he is not discouraged, as it is his dream and his favorite job. An shared: “I really hope to get a job at a place that supports people with disabilities, or to have the capital to open a printing and advertising business at home. Currently, my family's finances are very difficult and limited, so I haven't been able to realize my plans yet.”

Cong Khang