The path to university for a student who went through a near-death experience.

One day at the end of August, Do Xuan Thanh was filled with tears as he held in his hands the admission notice from the University of Water Resources. A new journey had just begun for the poor student from Thanh Hoa who suffered from Hemophilia.

Despite suffering from a rare disease, Do Xuan Thanh excelled academically throughout his three years of high school - Photo: LUONG HUYEN

Due to a hereditary bleeding disorder linked to the X chromosome, Do Xuan Thanh's childhood was a series of agonizing days filled with excruciating pain. Although he never once considered giving up, the road ahead to university will be a significant challenge for him.

Sometimes I have to hold back the pain because I don’t want my parents to worry too much. The journey ahead is definitely not easy for me, but I will not give up.

DO XUAN THANH

Villagers contribute money to cover hospital fees.

Thanh’s family’s ground-floor house is located near the end of Ham Ninh village, Hoang Trach commune, Hoang Hoa district (Thanh Hoa). In the scorching heat of the Central region, Thanh limped from the kitchen to the house, trying to smile.

The student is tall, has a bright face but his eyes are a bit sad behind his thick glasses. He admits that he is quite lively but also sensitive and easily moved to tears. "Every time the disease relapses, the pain is so excruciating that I can't forget it," Thanh burst into tears.

At the age of three, Thanh was diagnosed with hemophilia. This was after he fell and his tongue bled. Although he was hospitalized and the wound was stitched up, the bleeding continued uncontrollably. The situation was critical, and he had to be transferred to a hospital in Hanoi .

"The day we took our child away, my husband and I borrowed 10 million VND, but that was not enough. When the neighbors heard the news, they each contributed a little to help pay for the hospital bill," said Do Thi Huong, Thanh's mother, a hard-working woman who looked more haggard than her age, not yet 50, choking with emotion.

It took two months of treatment for the wound on the tip of his tongue to heal, but his condition did not improve. Whenever his son complained of pain or his limbs swelled up, his family rushed him to the hospital. There were times when the mother and son ate less home-cooked meals than the hospital meals.

His childhood wasn't as lively as his friends' in the neighborhood. Many times, he would sit and watch the boys play soccer, feeling envious. "I didn't get to play, and actually, no one dared to play soccer with me, so I had to find joy in books," Thành recounted.

Will not give up

Having been granted special permission to take the high school graduation exam, Thanh applied to the Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering program at the Water Resources University based on his academic transcript. Thanh is passionate about technology and has even disassembled several old phones to examine their internal components. He proudly shared that because he couldn't play sports , he dedicated his time to learning about technology and can now write basic programming code.

He was excited about the four years of college ahead. But the worry that his condition would worsen, possibly leading to muscle atrophy or stiff joints, was constantly on Thanh’s mind. Taking advantage of the free days before school started, Thanh helped his parents with housework.

Just as lunchtime was approaching, a sudden pain struck. Without even having time to pack his clothes, his father rushed Thanh to Thanh Hoa Provincial General Hospital, nearly 20km from their home, to admit him.

Thành said that over the past fifteen years, he'd lost count of how many times he'd been in and out of the hospital. After receiving four injections and treatment as usual, and feeling the pain subside, he quickly asked to be discharged so he could complete his enrollment paperwork.

Ms. Ngo Thi Hoai - the homeroom teacher - said that Thanh's family is poor, Thanh has a blood disease that requires long-term hospital treatment, but he always tries very hard, has the will to succeed and never has the intention of giving up studying.

"Knowing Thành's circumstances and those of his family, the school created all the necessary conditions, waiving or reducing contributions, and the class also provided a lot of support. What's most admirable is that every time we talk, he confides that he will strive and be determined not to give up on his studies," Ms. Hoài shared.

For Thanh, his father was both a source of emotional support and the family's pillar, working as a bricklayer for a company about 15 kilometers from their home. However, for the past three years, his father's health has deteriorated, and he has also developed pulmonary embolism, leaving him with irregular work schedules. All the family's living expenses fall heavily on his mother's shoulders. While working as a factory worker nearly ten kilometers from home, Mrs. Huong also takes advantage of her free time to cultivate a few acres of rice paddies for food, saving whatever money she can for medicine for her husband and son. "For more than six months now, the company has had little work, so not only have we not received overtime pay, but we've also had to take Saturdays off," Mrs. Huong said sadly.

Over 1.3 billion VND in scholarships awarded to new students in North Central Vietnam.

On the morning of October 5th, Tuoi Tre newspaper, in collaboration with the Nghe An Provincial Youth Union, will organize a scholarship awarding ceremony for 86 disadvantaged new university students from four provinces in the North Central region: Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh, and Quang Binh.

This is the second award in the 2023 Support to School scholarship program for new students under the 568th "For Tomorrow's Development" program of Tuoi Tre newspaper.

The total program cost over 1.3 billion VND (excluding travel, accommodation, and gift expenses), with each scholarship worth 15 million VND in cash and a special scholarship of 50 million VND for 4 years of study, sponsored by the "Supporting Farmers" Fund - Binh Dien Fertilizer Joint Stock Company.

Nestlé Vietnam Co., Ltd. sponsored gifts for new students, and the Vinacam Scholarship Fund - Vinacam Group Joint Stock Company sponsored 4 laptops for new students facing particular difficulties and lacking necessary learning equipment.

The Tuoi Tre newspaper's 2023 "Supporting Students to School" scholarship program provided scholarships to over 1,200 disadvantaged new university students nationwide with a total budget of over 19 billion VND. In addition to the 86 disadvantaged new students from the four provinces of Nghe An, Thanh Hoa, Ha Tinh, and Quang Binh awarded on October 5th, the "Supporting Students to School" program also distributed scholarships across the following regions: Central Vietnam, the Central Highlands, the Southeast, the Mekong Delta; and the provinces and cities in Northern and North Central Vietnam.

Tuoitre.vn