The tiny girl from Ta Leng commune dreams of becoming a teacher.

Born with a congenital spinal deformity, 9-year-old Hang Phuong Anh is significantly shorter than her peers, often coughs and has nosebleeds when the weather changes, but she has never considered dropping out of school.

This year, Phuong Anh is in class 3A2 at Ta Leng Ethnic Boarding Primary School in Tam Duong district. This Hmong girl is about 93 cm tall and weighs 14 kg, making her the smallest among her peers. Her spine and sternum protrude about 15 cm, causing her difficulty in movement and preventing her from lying flat. Often, when going up and down high steps, she needs help from her friends.

Hang A Nu, 25, Phuong Anh's father, said his daughter was born with a congenital deformity. Nu was 16 when Phuong Anh was born, and his wife was 15. Nu and his wife had taken Phuong Anh to the local hospital twice, where doctors concluded she had a spinal deformity and that "there is no cure."

"We haven't taken our child to Hanoi for a check-up yet, because we don't have the money. After hearing what the doctor said, we just brought him home," Mr. Nu said.

Phuong Anh during a class session, September 2023. Photo: Thanh Hang — Phuong Anh during a class session, September 2023. Photo: *Thanh Hang*

Due to her small stature, Phuong Anh was always seated in the front row by her teachers at Ta Leng School. She was classified as a student with disabilities, enrolled in an inclusive education program, so the school did not evaluate or grade her at the end of the semester or school year.

Last year, Ms. Nguyen Thi Minh, the homeroom teacher of class 2A2, said she was "very scared" whenever her student had health problems. The child often suffered from nosebleeds in the summer, coughed a lot in the winter, wheezed with every breath, and once fainted in class.

"I was very worried about Phuong Anh's condition, but at times like that, all I could do was stop the nosebleed, put a wet towel on her forehead, and then take her to the infirmary ," Ms. Minh recounted, adding that due to her weak health, there were months when Phuong Anh missed more days than she attended class.

Her weak physical condition and poor health also made it difficult for Phuong Anh to study. She was slow in her movements and spoke softly and slowly. Therefore, whenever the teacher assigned homework to the whole class, she usually gave Phuong Anh fewer assignments.

The little girl from Ta Leng Primary School — Phuong Anh studies and lives in a boarding school with her friends, despite facing many inconveniences due to her weak health and small stature. Video: *Thanh Hang*

Mr. Nguyen Dinh Trung, Principal of Ta Leng Ethnic Boarding Primary School, said that Phuong Anh's family is among the poorest in the commune. Despite facing many difficulties in daily life and studies, Phuong Anh has never once needed teachers to come to her house to persuade her to attend school.

"I want to be a teacher to teach children how to read and write," Phuong Anh said when asked about her dream.

Ms. Tran Thi Tuyet, Phuong Anh's homeroom teacher this year, said that her family is very attentive to her and takes her to school regularly. Because she attends the school on a boarding basis, her father takes her to school every Monday morning and picks her up on Friday afternoon.

Mr. Nu said that on many weekdays, missing his daughter, he buys bread and milk to bring to school for her to eat. The corn fields are always busy for Mr. and Mrs. Nu, but the father tells Phuong Anh to just stay home and play with her 3-year-old sister whenever she comes home.

Regarding her academic abilities, Ms. Minh noted that Phuong Anh wasn't as quick as most of her classmates, but she could read, write, and do addition and subtraction within the range of 10. Her progress was evident each semester. She was quiet, but well-behaved and always listened to her teacher. Throughout the school year, Phuong Anh never missed a single assignment.

Both on her back and chest, Phuong Anh has protruding bones, making daily activities difficult for her. Even when standing, Phuong Anh is only as tall as her seated classmate. (Photo: Thanh Hang) — Both on her back and chest, Phuong Anh has protruding bones, making daily activities difficult for her. Even when standing, Phuong Anh is only as tall as her seated classmate. (Photo: *Thanh Hang)*

For Phuong Anh, going to school is fun because she has friends. As for Mr. Nu, he said many people advised him to let Phuong Anh work, saying, "With that illness, what's the point of studying?", but he thinks differently. Having only finished 7th grade himself and his wife only 3rd grade, Mr. Nu wants his daughter to receive a complete education.

Given Phuong Anh's current health condition, her father doesn't know if she'll be able to fulfill her dream of becoming a teacher, but he will let her continue her education until she can no longer do so.

"Even for work or selling goods, literacy is necessary. I was happy to hear the teacher say my child can still learn. If my child wants to go to university or college later, I will definitely let them. I want my child to be literate so they can take care of themselves," Mr. Nu said.

Thanh Hang

To further motivate children in mountainous areas to have the opportunity to improve their lives, the Hope Fund - VnExpress newspaper continues to accept donations for the "Light for Education" program. Every contribution from our readers is another ray of light for the future generation. Readers can find information about the program here.

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