Open the dreams of two orphaned sisters

(Baonghean) - More than a year ago, Nghe An Weekend newspaper, issue dated January 12, 2014, published an article titled “The Dream of Two Orphaned Sisters”, reflecting on the pitiful circumstances of two sisters, Dang Thi Huyen (born 2002) and Dang Thi Khanh Linh (born 2007) in Anh Son Town. After the information was published, the two sisters were adopted by a family in Hanoi and given good care. That made the dream of the two orphaned sisters come true…

The parents of the two children passed away due to illness at a very young age, leaving Huyen and Linh orphaned and helpless. Before closing her eyes, Ms. Tran Thi Hoa (mother of the two children) called her older sister and her husband, Tran Thi Tuyen and Tran Van Dong, to her side, asking them to take care of the two children.

There was still some money left in the house. After paying for the funeral, they asked her brother and sister to buy Huyen a bicycle because the long distance to school was very difficult for her. At that time, Linh's eyes were bewildered, as if she was too young to be aware of the great pain of life.

Nghe An Newspaper gives gifts to sisters Huyen and Linh for Tet 2014. Photo: Dao Tuan

Remembering the dying words of her unfortunate sister, Tuyen and Dong opened their arms to take care of the two children. Huyen and Linh's daily rice and food were provided by their aunt and uncle. However, because the house was 2 km away, Dong and his wife were also busy with work, so the cooking was left to Huyen. At that time, Dang Thi Huyen was a 6th grade student, and Dang Thi Khanh Linh was in kindergarten. The house was about 5 km from the school, so every morning, Huyen woke up early to prepare meals, take her sister to class, and then cycle to school. In the evening, she took care of meals, bathed her, and coaxed her to sleep. Just like that, Huyen was both Linh's older sister and mother. On cold winter nights, Linh often turned over and pulled the blanket, making Huyen feel cold and wake up. Memories came flooding back, the image of the family reunion and happiness of the past flickered and flashed. The happiest time is every Tet holiday, every year my mother buys new clothes for her children, then takes Huyen and her sisters to visit their relatives. Alone awake in the cold, Huyen suddenly longs for the hug and caress of her mother's hand.

Faced with the pain and misfortune of Huyen and Linh, along with the care of Dong and his wife, many kind-hearted people have tried to find ways to help. Right after Tran Thi Hoa's funeral, the block management board launched a fundraising campaign, supporting the two children with more than 2 million VND. Every day, neighbors still come over regularly, look after them and are ready to help. Huyen and Linh's house is empty but the study corner is quite tidy. The two sisters share a lamp shade, surrounded by neatly arranged books. Huyen took up a pen and wrote down her situation and dream: “My name is Dang Thi Huyen. My father passed away 4 years ago, my mother was sick continuously due to a serious illness, and in 2013 she passed away. Since then, my two sisters have relied on my aunt and uncle. I hope that my superiors, the State and philanthropists will help my sisters. I will not let down my superiors, the State, philanthropists, teachers, aunts and uncles and everyone. I dream of being able to teach children.”

After the article was published, a number of organizations and individuals contacted Nghe An Newspaper to send Huyen and Linh valuable gifts. One day near the Lunar New Year of Giap Ngo 2014, leaders of Nghe An Newspaper went to the two sisters' house to present gifts from agencies, organizations and individuals. On this occasion, local departments and branches also had gifts for the children to celebrate Tet, the total amount of money Huyen and Linh received was about 10 million VND. On the 30th of Tet, we visited the house of the two orphaned sisters again and saw that they had prepared quite well to celebrate Tet. In the children's eyes, there was joy and gratitude.

Recently, having the opportunity to go to Anh Son Town, we visited Huyen and Linh's house again. That small house is now closed. Asking the neighbors, we learned that a family in Hanoi had come to adopt the two children. Meeting Mr. and Mrs. Tran Van Dong (the aunt and uncle of the two children) to verify, both confirmed that their two children had gone to Hanoi to be adopted and were living and being cared for fully and thoughtfully. Contacted by phone, Dang Thi Huyen said that through the press and the Red Cross, knowing the family's circumstances, her adoptive parents contacted her to bring the two sisters to live in Hanoi since August 2014.

Currently, Huyen is in 7th grade, Linh is in 1st grade. Every day, the two children are picked up by the school bus from home to school and from school to home. The adoptive parents have created the best conditions for Huyen and Linh to study, and have hired a tutor to help them keep up with their friends. The adoptive parents' family is in business, has its own company, and has 2 sons in high school, one of whom is studying abroad in the US. All family members love, care for, and look after the lives of Huyen and Linh, truly considering them as family members. Recently, the adoptive parents sent a car to take the two children back to their hometown for their father's death anniversary for 2 days. In the near future, before the Lunar New Year, the adoptive parents will send a car to take them back to their hometown to commemorate their mother's death anniversary and celebrate Tet for a few days, then go back to Hanoi to celebrate Tet. After many attempts to contact the adoptive parents of the two children without success, we have had to miss our appointment with readers about the kind-hearted people who are taking care of the children.

Dang Thi Huyen confided: “I would like to thank the ladies and gentlemen at Nghe An Newspaper, the Red Cross Society, the local government and the kind-hearted organizations and individuals who have helped my sister and I in the past time. We will remember that kindness and study hard, not letting everyone down…”.

We still remember the conclusion of last year's article: "For some reason, we cannot shake off the impression of the eyes of Huyen and Linh, two children who had to bear the pain of losing both their parents at an early age. Their eyes were so sad, filled with pain and sorrow. Those eyes also contained extraordinary determination and hope for life. Looking at them, we have enough faith that the lives of the two children will open up, Huyen and Linh will realize their dreams. Because around us, there are still many people with kind hearts, ready to take care of and protect them." And that belief of ours has now become a reality.

Cong Kien