Extraordinary determination of an orphaned student in the highlands of Nghe An
(Baonghean.vn) - My father passed away when I was 10 years old, 4 years later the terrible cancer also took away my mother. At only 14 years old, I had to suffer great losses, and being the older sister of 2 younger brothers, I had no close relatives around me. However, overcoming the pain, I have done more than my age.
That is Nguyen Thi Huyen Trang, a student of class 11C - Quy Chau High School. I met her on a day in early April in the small house that her parents left for her and her three siblings. Today is the weekend so Trang took the opportunity to visit her two younger siblings and "show off" to her parents about the achievements she had just achieved in the recent provincial excellent student competition.
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| In the small house, Trang is the spiritual support for the children. Photo: Luong Nga |
Both Trang's parents were from Dien Chau district. After Trang was born, due to difficult family circumstances, the whole family moved to Quy Chau to start a business.
Unfortunately, when the youngest brother was only 5 years old, his father suddenly passed away, leaving his mother to take care of her three children alone. But before the pain of losing their father had subsided, the three young heads screamed heartbreakingly when their mother also passed away on a haunting day.
Recalling that fateful day, Trang was at school reviewing for the provincial excellent student exam (junior high school) when she heard the news that her mother was seriously ill. She rushed home but it was too late. Her mother passed away without being able to say her last words, leaving behind only tears and helplessness before her fate. Everything seemed to collapse before Trang. She seemed to have lost interest in studying, and did not care about anything around her.
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| Warm moments of Trang and her siblings. Photo: Luong Nga |
Her father was gone, her mother had just passed away, and her family was poor. Her aunts and uncles advised Trang to quit school and work to earn money to support her younger siblings. At first, she wanted to give up. But many nights lying in the cold, empty house, looking at her two poor younger brothers, thinking about her parents and the faith they had in their daughter, Trang would throw off the blanket and sit up. She was determined to go to school, and that was also to fulfill her promise to her parents: no matter how difficult it was, Trang and her three sisters would not drop out of school.
Since the day their mother passed away, their grandmother came to live with Trang and her three sisters. She was nearly 80 years old but still clear-minded. She always taught Trang and her three sisters to live well and study hard to become good people in the future.
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| With extraordinary determination, Trang has overcome many challenges to rise up. Photo: Luong Nga |
On the first day of school at Quy Chau High School, nearly 20km from home, the first time she had to leave home and her siblings to be independent, Trang had to save every penny to take care of her life. With the monthly allowance of 1.2 million VND for all 3 sisters, Trang only dared to keep 400 hundred thousand VND to pay for room, electricity, water and daily food, the rest Trang sent to her grandmother and siblings. Life was difficult, many days she was sick and had no money to buy medicine. Even when craving an ice cream on a hot day, Trang did not dare to eat it because she thought of her 2 siblings at home. Despite all the hardships, in the first school year her achievements were still among the top in the class. Trang was an excellent student from grade 1 to grade 10. Trang also won first prize in Geography, second prize in Literature and an encouragement prize in History at the district level. Not only Trang, but Thang and The were also excellent students for many consecutive years and were loved by teachers and classmates.
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| Every time she comes home, Trang takes the time to work in the garden to have clean vegetables for her three sisters. Photo: Luong Nga |
At the end of 10th grade, Trang received a scholarship and was able to live in the school dormitory. All food expenses were free, which somewhat reduced her burden.
But life seems to be a series of challenges for the 15-year-old girl who has suffered many disadvantages and misfortunes. Not long after living with her sisters, Trang's grandmother suffered a stroke in early 2018. She was taken to Dien Chau to be taken care of by her uncle's family. Now there are only 3 sisters in the small house. Trang has to go to school and take care of her two younger siblings at home. There were weeks when her youngest brother was sick, Trang still had to go back and forth twice a day, a distance of nearly 40km that made her tired, but Trang never thought she would stop.
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| After class, Trang took the opportunity to go to her teacher's house to ask questions to consolidate her knowledge. Photo: Luong Nga |
The efforts of the three Trang sisters have been rewarded, in the recent excellent student competition Trang won the first prize in the province in Geography. This initial success is the result of the extraordinary efforts of the three Trang sisters that are very much appreciated. It is also the love and care of the neighbors, teachers and friends of Quy Chau High School.
The example of Trang’s three sisters’ studiousness and their rise from poverty has been widely known. Everyone sympathizes with their fate and admires the efforts of the children who have overcome the formidable challenges of life. As for Trang, her biggest dream now is to study well to pass the university entrance exam. She will replace her parents to take care of and raise her two younger siblings./.