Escaping from human traffickers, Nghe An girl had to amputate both legs

(Baonghean.vn) - Taking advantage of the human traffickers' carelessness, the Nghe An girl escaped and ran into a deep, snowy forest in China for a week. By the time she was discovered, her legs were frozen and had to be amputated.

Meeting us after 2 months of returning from a foreign land, Lu Thi Tim from Pung village (Muong Ai commune - Ky Son, Nghe An) was still in a state of panic. In a small stilt house, the young woman born in 1985 struggled to crawl step by step with her 2 legs amputated.

Confiding in us, Tim sadly told us about the days when he was tricked and sold to China by human traffickers and his bitter journey of escape.

Lu Thi Tim talks about the days she escaped from human traffickers. Photo: Dao Tho

Born into a poor family, Lu Thi Tim, with her skillful embroidery skills, only wished to find a job that suited her interests. Realizing that, one day at the end of December 2011, Vi Thi Nguyet from Son Thanh village (Ta Ca commune - Ky Son) came to persuade and promised Tim a stable job. "She said she would take me to Laos to embroider dresses. I was so excited, I begged my family to let me go, but I didn't expect that Ms. Nguyet would trick me and sell me to China" - Tim said in tears.

According to Tim, when she got on the bus to Vinh city, Mrs. Nguyet gave her a glass of soft drink and told her to drink it to prepare for the journey. After drinking it, Tim fell asleep until she reached the other side of the border in China. Here, she was locked in a closed room with many other people and was under strict supervision of human traffickers. These people claimed that Tim had been sold to them for a large sum of money and now had to get married to pay off the debt. "I didn't know who I was marrying, so I was determined to not accept it even if it meant death," Tim said.

In the cramped room filled with a foul smell, Tim escaped when they were not paying attention. Not knowing the way, she just ran with the thought of running as far as possible. She planned to meet someone on the way and call for help, but the more she ran, the more she got lost in the deep forest. According to Tim, the forest she was hiding in was a cold and snowy place. With no shoes, only thin clothes on her body, and not a single bite of food in her stomach, there were times when Tim thought she would not survive to see her family again.

Tim's legs were amputated. Photo: Dao Tho

Luckily, on the 7th day, two old Chinese people found Tim lying on the ground, half-dead from hunger and cold, under a tree in the forest. She raised her hand to signal for help and they took her to a center for the destitute.

Here, the doctors diagnosed that Tim's legs were frozen like stone, and blood circulation had been interrupted for a long time. They decided to amputate her legs to save her life. Tim said: "When I woke up and saw that my legs were gone, I couldn't believe my eyes. The world seemed to collapse before my eyes. At that time, all I could think was, if I lost my legs, I don't know when I would be able to find my way back to my family and village."

Returning with lost legs, Lu Thi Tim is still passionate about embroidery. Photo: Dao Tho

For nearly 6 years living in that homeless camp, Lu Thi Tim never stopped missing her homeland and just wished for a miracle to happen to her. Then, during a raid by Chinese authorities on illegal immigrants, they discovered Tim. Knowing where she lived, the Chinese side reported it to Vietnamese authorities and at the same time tried to find a way to bring Tim back to Vietnam.

In August 2017, Tim's family in the countryside got news of their child after nearly 6 years of no news. Last October, she was reunited with her relatives with great joy. "We thought we would never see our child again. We are happy that she lost her legs but is still alive. We only hope that the law can severely punish those who had the heart to sell my child" - Mr. Lu Pho Bien, Tim's father, said in tears.

Currently, Tim only wishes to have a wheelchair and prosthetic legs to reduce the burden on her family. Photo: Dao Tho

Tim said that she was accompanied by Lu Thi Van and her son who live in the same village. Van and her son, Lu Van Nam (2 years old), were also sold by Vi Thi Nguyet 6 years ago but there has been no news of them. "Now I just hope to have a wheelchair and prosthetic legs so I can take care of myself without depending too much on my old parents" - Lu Thi Tim said. It is known that Tim has also filed a complaint against the trafficker to the police.

Regarding this, Mr. Lu Quang Hung - Chairman of Muong Ai commune said: "The case of Ms. Lu Thi Tim being sold to China and returning to the commune committee has also been known. Currently, the commune is completing the procedures for Tim to enjoy policies for the disabled."

Dao Tho