A pillar of support for those less fortunate.
I visited the home of Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy (born in 1977) in Thach Son 7 hamlet, Anh Son commune ( Nghe An province ) on a day at the end of August. In her small, one-story house, Ms. Thuy and her two children were preparing their belongings and books for the new school year. Curious, I asked, "Where is your husband? Why are you and the children home alone like this?" She hesitated, seemingly afraid the children might be upset if they overheard, so she pulled me outside to the yard to have a drink and chat.
"I didn't get married, and as I grew up, my parents grew old and frail, so I decided to stay single to take care of them. These two children were abandoned at birth. It's so sad; they're both the same age, and I've raised them since they were babies. Thinking back, it's been 13 years now," Thuy said sadly.
Seeing their mother sitting and chatting with guests, the two children ran out, chattering and asking permission to take their hoes to the rice paddies to weed. "Look, sir, they've only just started 8th grade, but they're so well-behaved. They're all self-motivated and obedient. I'm sure they know their place and love their mother very much," Ms. Thuy said proudly.
Ms. Thuy and her two children prepare their books and school supplies for the new school year - PHOTO: PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR
Looking towards her children, she recounted: "In 2012, I met a girl from Thanh Chuong, Nghe An, who was preparing to have an abortion at 20 weeks. After much persuasion, I finally took her home to care for her. As a result, a healthy baby girl was born, bringing joy to everyone. It seemed happiness would come to the baby, but more than 10 days later, the young mother disappeared without a trace, leaving her daughter with Ms. Thuy. She named her Nguyen Thi Hoai Thu."
As if by fate, two months later, Ms. Thuy brought home a girl from nearly a hundred kilometers away. The girl was a student who had gotten pregnant. Unable to bear the criticism of others, she decided to have an abortion. Feeling sorry for the young, naive girl, Ms. Thuy followed her day after day, trying to persuade her to keep the baby, saying, "The baby is innocent; it's a life too."
"Upon hearing the news, I rode my motorbike hundreds of kilometers to her house to find her. Wherever she went, I followed, fearing she might do something rash and abandon her child, which would be heartbreaking for the baby. Finally, I persuaded her to come to my house, firstly to avoid gossip from acquaintances, and secondly so I could easily advise her," Thuy recalled.
But after giving birth to the baby boy, the woman left the child behind and disappeared without a trace. She was left alone to work the fields, care for her elderly parents, and raise two children. She named her grandson Nguyen Tran An. Life was hard, but watching her children grow up brought her joy.
Hoai Thu and Tran An, who were raised by their foster sister since infancy, are now in 8th grade - PHOTO: PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR
Ms. Thuy recounted that despite her busy schedule, whenever she heard about someone planning an abortion, she would rush to the scene to persuade them, rain or shine, day or night. "I remember once a girl from a village 30 km away got pregnant with a boy and planned to have an abortion and then jump off a bridge to commit suicide. Terrified, I went there to encourage and advise her. Ignoring everyone's disapproval, I stayed at her house day after day, following her wherever she went. And finally, they came to understand each other, and later they got together and lived happily," Ms. Thuy said with a contented smile.
Even now, she can't remember how many people she's helped who were considering aborting their unborn child. For her, helping someone brings her the greatest peace of mind, but the times her attempts to dissuade them failed leave her feeling guilty and tormented...
The children find some comfort in the afterlife .
I was sitting thoughtfully, admiring this woman, nearly 50 years old but with a kind and benevolent face, when a voice called from outside the gate. "That's my friend, Ms. Tung! Today is the first day of the month, we're going to the cemetery to light incense for the little ones," Ms. Thuy explained. It turned out that the "little ones" she was referring to were nearly 600 unfortunate infants she had brought here for burial.
Speaking about this, she said it was also a matter of fate. About 16 years ago, while visiting many places, she saw many unfortunate infants who had been abandoned, which was very heartbreaking. Unable to bear it, she brought them home to bury them. She discussed this idea with her family, and her father, Mr. Nguyen Van Che, immediately agreed. "My father is a long-time Party member who used to work in a government agency. He encouraged me to try to do good deeds, because after all, each child is a living being, and they need to find a home to rest in peace. So he set aside a plot of land in the family cemetery for me to bury the infants," Ms. Thuy confided.
During holidays, Ms. Thuy often comes to light incense for the deceased infants - PHOTO: PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR
Since then, whenever and wherever unfortunate infants were abandoned, she would go there and bring them back for a proper burial. Sometimes she went alone, other times she was accompanied by Ms. Phan Thi Tung, a friend of her age who lived nearby. Medical facilities throughout the area have become familiar with this woman's face and understand her situation very well...
However, her actions initially aroused curiosity and criticism from many people in the village and commune. Some thought she had bad intentions, others said she was abnormal… Ms. Thuy didn't care about that because, for her, when the infants were given a proper burial, she felt more at peace.
She said that in 2013, she was walking down the street when she heard the cries of a newborn baby. She ran over and found the child lying naked by a bush, covered in injuries. Hastily gathering her savings, she took a bus to Hanoi to have the baby examined, but it was too late. The baby had passed away, and her heart ached; she cried for several nights.
"I don't know if it was fate that brought me to meet those infants, but just two weeks ago, I couldn't sleep one night, my heart was racing. When I finally dozed off, I dreamt of a newborn baby reaching out its hand as if pleading for help. The next morning, after walking just over a kilometer, I found a baby abandoned by the roadside, but it was already dead. I brought it home, washed it, and prepared it for burial. It was so heartbreaking!" she said, gazing into the distance...
Sitting next to her, Ms. Phan Thi Tung also said: "She (Ms. Thuy) is very brave. Many days, even in the rain and wind, at nearly 2 a.m., she still brings the remains of infants home alone for burial. I tried to stop her from doing it the next morning, but she said she couldn't bear to see the children lying in the cold rain. That's just how she is; nobody can stop her."
The cemetery where Ms. Thuy buries the infants, covering about 30 square meters , has carefully constructed graves and is respectfully maintained with incense offerings. She says this is a shared home for "the children," and that having it will bring some comfort to the infants in the afterlife. "As long as I have the strength, I will continue. The important thing is to educate couples not to abort their fetuses, and the burial itself isn't too much of a concern," Ms. Thuy said.
The 5th "Living Beautifully" writing contest was organized to encourage people to write about noble acts that have helped individuals or communities. This year, the contest focuses on praising individuals or groups who have performed acts of kindness, bringing hope to those in difficult circumstances.
A highlight is the new environmental award category, which honors works that inspire and encourage action for a green and clean living environment. Through this, the organizers hope to raise community awareness in protecting the planet for future generations.
The competition features diverse categories and prize structures, including:
Article categories: Essays, reports, notes, or short stories, not exceeding 1,600 words for essays and 2,500 words for short stories.
Feature articles, reports, and notes:
- 1st prize: 30,000,000 VND
- 2 second prizes: 15,000,000 VND
- 3 third prizes: 10,000,000 VND
- 5 consolation prizes: 3,000,000 VND
Short story:
- 1st prize: 30,000,000 VND
- 1 second prize: 20,000,000 VND
- 2 third prizes: 10,000,000 VND
- 4 consolation prizes: 5,000,000 VND
Photo category: Submit a set of at least 5 photos related to volunteer work or environmental protection, along with the title of the photo set and a short description.
- 1st prize: 10,000,000 VND
- 1 second prize: 5,000,000 VND
- 1 third prize: 3,000,000 VND
- 5 consolation prizes: 2,000,000 VND each
Prize for the Most Popular Song: 5,000,000 VND
Prize for an outstanding essay on the topic of the environment: 5,000,000 VND
Honored Person Award: 30,000,000 VND
The deadline for submitting entries is October 16, 2025. Entries will be judged in a preliminary and final round by a panel of renowned judges. The organizers will announce the winners on the "Living Beautifully" special page. See the detailed rules at thanhnien.vn .
Organizing Committee of the " Living Beautifully" Contest
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/lang-le-gieo-mam-su-song-185250917124738812.htm
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