Do Ha Cu - the sower of hope

I became friends with him and had sessions listening to him share about his real life and his dreams for the future. The more I learned, the more I admired Do Ha Cu, a boy in a wheelchair but carrying love everywhere.

Overcoming fate

Do Ha Cu was born in 1984, in Thai Binh. He is the seed of love of his father - a soldier who fought bravely in the fierce Quang Tri battlefield and his mother - a student at Hanoi University of Water Resources. He was born on April 30. His parents were overjoyed but did not expect that there would be challenges and hardships ahead.

When he was born, Ha Cu weighed only 2 kg and had a weak body. His mother took meticulous care of him, but little Cu never developed normally like other children. Wherever his mother put him, he lay there. Cu could not sit or lift his neck. His limbs only waved around aimlessly. His body was very soft, but if anyone touched him, his limbs would stiffen and tense up as if to defend himself. His mother persistently took care of him, taking him to any doctor, no matter how far away, with a burning hope that he would be like other children, happily playing in the yard and going to school to learn, but all in vain. At that time, science was not yet developed, so no one knew that he was a victim of Agent Orange.

Do Ha Cu - the one who sows hope - Photo 2.

Mr. Cu is very happy when reading books - PHOTO: PROVIDED BY AUTHOR

Tormented by illness, his body ached, and the constant medication, there were times when he seemed unable to recover. When he was home alone, listening to his friends running and playing outside the alley, he wanted to use his own feet to take each step, to explore the life outside. However, in return, he only felt sorrow and helplessness. Many times Cu thought about death. But his mother's love helped Do Ha Cu overcome his inferiority complex, to continue living and living a useful life.

Hope Reading Space

Do Ha Cu was not allowed to go to school. His mother and books were the two teachers who accompanied him. Since he was little, he loved reading books. He learned to read and write through his mother's poems. He learned to read and write when his mother taught his younger brother to study, he lay next to her and listened attentively, mumbling along to each word and verse.

When he had memorized all the letters and had read all kinds of books, he wanted to learn computers. Learning computers was much more difficult than learning letters, his younger brother and mother were always there to support him. By installing a virtual keyboard on the screen, he learned to type with one index finger. He was sweating profusely, his clothes were soaked but he still studied diligently. Cu used artificial intelligence software to write letters by voice, write text by voice. Because he understood that only information technology and knowledge in books could connect him to the outside world.

Cruel fate kept his body within four walls, but could not imprison his soul and passion. The number of books at home was not enough for him to read, and he did not have money to buy many books. He connected with bookstores and benefactors to ask for books to read to satisfy his passion.

Do Ha Cu - the one who sows hope - Photo 3.

Mr. Cu studies computer - PHOTO: PROVIDED BY AUTHOR

His love for books became a bond that connected him with Ms. Duong Le Nga, Mr. Tran Thien Tung and Ms. Ha Vu, the co-founders of "Reading Space" - a chain of free libraries serving the community. Seeing Cu's love for books, on July 24, 2015, Ms. Le Nga and her siblings decided to establish a reading space managed by him called "Hopeful Reading Space".

He shared that the first days of establishing the reading space were filled with joy and happiness that made him cry. His feet could not freely go where he wanted, but the books were his teachers and friends who helped him go everywhere. However, there were also certain difficulties, such as he could not help readers find documents, make book borrowing cards, and sign the book borrowing and returning book. There were days when the number of readers reached 40 people. The whole family became librarians to serve the readers, and his mother also had to take care of his daily activities. Because he did not want to upset anyone, he was happy when many people came to his house to play, talk, and read books. He opened the reading space until 9 p.m....

After that, he planned his activities more scientifically. During the summer vacation, the reading space would be open every day of the week, and during the school year, it would be open on the weekends from 4pm to 6pm. He established a team of volunteers to support the "reading space" who were students with a passion for books. Since then, the "Hope Reading Space" has operated more effectively.

I admire him not only for his determination to overcome his fate to live a life worth living, but also for his kindness and willingness to share with the community. He used the gift of a TV as a computer screen from benefactors to mobilize books for hundreds of large and small bookcases across the country to serve the community, especially the disabled, for free.

Do Ha Cu - the one who sows hope - Photo 4.

Mr. Cu and readers at "Hopeful Reading Space" - PHOTO: PROVIDED BY AUTHOR

Love Connection

Knowing that Nguyen Lan Huong (in Dong Hung district, Thai Binh, paralyzed since childhood after a stroke) had a passion for reading like him, so that Huong would not have to travel with difficulty to his house to read, he suggested to Ms. Le Nga and Mr. Thien Tung to continue opening a "Faith Reading Space" for Huong. The good news spread far and wide, he directly mobilized funds and books to establish a "Dream Reading Space" for his friend with congenital disabilities, Tran Thi Muot in Hung Ha district, Thai Binh province. Then "Vu Long Reading Space" in Cam Giang district, Hai Duong (Long is an 8-year-old boy with congenital spinal muscular atrophy)...

He took the initiative to connect friends and established the "Hope Reading Space Club". His "Project to build a community bookcase managed by people with disabilities" received support from many benefactors. Since then, reading spaces for people with disabilities have been established one after another. By 2024, the "Hope Reading Space" club had 32 reading spaces nationwide, 28 of which were managed by people with disabilities.

The birth of reading spaces has contributed to making the lives of people with disabilities more meaningful, they confidently integrate into society, overcome their inferiority complex; at the same time, spread the reading culture in the community when the love of reading of young people today is influenced by many factors such as: internet, online games, reading - listening to audiobooks, e-books... Ha Cu has sown faith in life, the spirit of not giving up in the face of challenges for young people through the pages of books with the color of hope.

With the help of his family and society, and his own efforts to rise up with many useful activities for the community, Do Ha Cu received a certificate of merit for Outstanding Disabled Youth honored in the program "Shining Vietnamese Willpower" in 2020; a certificate of merit for his achievements in the field of social security and actively participating in community activities, contributing to the cause of building socialism and defending the Fatherland in 2020 from the Prime Minister; the 2019 Reading Culture Development Award from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and many other certificates of merit and honorary awards.

Do Ha Cu - the one who sows hope - Photo 5.