Overcoming the pain of Agent Orange to become a typical economic model

(Baonghean.vn) -After returning from the army, he was infected with Agent Orange, which was even more painful.when 2 ofFour children also suffered from the effects of this poison, butveteranPham Ba Canh overcame those pains with will and determination.the power to live a meaningful life.

The pain of dioxin

July is also the season of erratic rain and sunshine, causing pain to torment veteran Pham Ba Canh (Hung Yen Bac commune, Hung Nguyen district).

Across the room, Phan Thi Thuy, his second daughter, was lying on an old slatted bed. If she were a normal girl, Thuy would have been a wife, a mother, and the keeper of the family home. But at 38 years old, the daughter of the veteran couple was like a child, unable to even do her own daily activities.

Holding back a sigh, Ms. Nguyen Thi Van, Thuy's biological mother, sadly said: "She was born prematurely, so my husband and I had to work very hard to take care of her since she was little. Then, God showed mercy, and she grew taller and more mature day by day.

But then, at the age of 12, she gradually lost her voice, her legs gradually atrophied and she could no longer walk. From then on, she had to stay in bed or could only walk a few steps in her room with great effort.

At that time, the couple only thought that it was the result of a hungry pregnancy, of days of struggling to make a living, so they took their child to all the hospitals in and out of the province hoping that he would get well. But the only result was that the doctors shook their heads.

Mr. Pham Ba Canh is taking care of his daughter suffering from Agent Orange. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Looking up at the altar, she pointed to a portrait of a young man, with quick eyes and a handsome face, but who had passed away early. That was her third son who had passed away more than ten years ago.

“In 1982, I gave birth to Phuong. Seeing that our son was born healthy, my husband and I placed all our hopes on him. But then, at the age of 13, Phuong continued to suffer from the same “strange diseases” as his sister, causing his health to decline more and more.

Loving our son, my husband and I sought treatment everywhere. We sold all our assets and savings from our garden and small wood workshop. The money was gone but our son's illness became more and more serious. Until he was 19 years old, Phuong passed away.

At that time, the couple felt hopeless. They thought that their children would have to bear the consequences of their past lives. It was not until the year 2000, through the mass media and disability identification programs organized by the province, that we understood the cause of the diseases that tormented our two children: the after-effects of Agent Orange/dioxin.

Recalling, Mr. Canh sadly said: “I joined the army in 1972 to participate in the campaign to liberate the South. The battlefields of Trang Bom, Xuan Loc, Long Khanh... at that time were extremely fierce. The enemy not only dropped bombs but also sprayed waves of chemical rain, causing the forests to lose all their leaves, even decades-old trees gradually withered. Even weeds could not survive...

Mr. Pham Ba Canh is working at his family's sawmill. Photo: Thanh Quynh

During those fierce years, our soldiers still clung to the forest to fight because our only desire was to live to wait for the day of the general offensive in the South and the unification of the country. Therefore, thousands of people still marched through those deadly forests, drinking water from streams discolored by chemicals without knowing that they were carrying in their bodies a deadly poison called “Agent Orange”.

Now, when returning to a simple life, leaving behind the fierceness of war, he still has many complications that are gradually corroding his body. The pain of illness and of his unfortunate children who cannot live a proper life always makes him ache. But deep in the eyes of that veteran, living and fighting for the freedom of the nation is always the most beautiful ideal of life. Even though, the price to pay is too high.

But those emotional wounds could not make the former Ho Chi Minh soldier fall down. On the contrary, it was his faith and determination that helped him overcome his fate and defeat adversity.

Overcoming adversity

In a spacious wood workshop of nearly 5 spacious rooms equipped with many machines and tools, Mr. Pham Ba Canh started to instruct his 3 workers, who are the children of veterans in the area and have been employed by him for more than 6 years.

Being a traditional family business, in 1976, after returning to his hometown after being discharged from the army, Mr. Pham Ba Canh set up a temporary shack to repair damaged wooden furniture of the neighbors. With no money to buy raw materials, he used wood from jackfruit trees in the garden to make the first tables and cabinets. Seeing that his products were both beautiful and sturdy, everyone near and far loved them.

With the first profits, he boldly bought more wood and made more products for consumption. After decades of tireless efforts, the small shack has now become the largest and most beautiful wood workshop in the region. Every month, dozens of products are consumed in and out of the province. The salary paid to workers in the workshop has also increased to over 4 million VND per person per month.

Mr. Pham Ba Canh and his wife next to their livestock barn system. Photo: Thanh Quynh

Along with that, the couple also expanded their livestock raising. He was a carpenter, she was a farmer. In addition to 1 hectare of rice field, the family also raised over 10 buffaloes and cows each litter. With their love of work and tireless efforts, they became a typical economic model of the district. Each year, they earned hundreds of millions of dong.

Even happier, in their old age, they have a solid support for themselves when their fourth son, who is also the only son of the family, is fortunately completely healthy. This year, 32 years old, he is one of the skilled master craftsmen in charge of the family's wood workshop.

Mr. Nguyen Nhu Hong - Chairman of the Association of War Veterans of Hung Yen Bac commune could not hide his emotion when sharing: After the day peace was restored and the country was liberated and unified, everyone wanted most of all to have a peaceful life with family and relatives, to make up for the years of difficult and arduous fighting. But for Mr. Pham Ba Canh's family, happiness did not smile completely when they had to fight persistently with their own health problems and it was even more heartbreaking when it turned into sadness, disaster with illness and even death of their children.

However, the storms did not discourage him, the whole family worked diligently and achieved many encouraging results. His family is an example for many people in the same situation./.

Thanh Quynh