The kindness of the people of Phu land

Being able to open one's heart, contribute to the community, and bring about good life lessons and values is truly invaluable.

Even in heartbreak, I still think of others.

In Tuy Hoa City, veteran Le Thi Kim Thang initiated and, together with her comrades, held a joint memorial service for the heroes and martyrs of Phu Yen province twice a year, on July 27th and December 22nd. This information comes from an article by Nguyen Ba Thuyet in the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper, issue dated October 21, 2022.

Following the story of Ms. Thang and her group of female veterans holding memorial services for martyrs who died in the war against the US since 2002, in 2010, Phu Yen province assigned the Provincial Veterans Association to organize memorial services for the heroic martyrs twice a year. The way the people of Phu Yen express their gratitude, like the veterans, is truly sincere and precious.

People in Phu Yen also demonstrate profound compassion, exemplified by the examples in the "Kindness Around Us" contest organized by the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper, which were conveyed to readers by Phu Yen authors and created a positive impact.

In the article "The Priceless Gift of a Young Man Who Died at Age 22," author Yen Lan states that Vo Thi Suong, a kindergarten teacher in Tuy Hoa City, worked tirelessly to raise her two children. Unfortunately, her eldest son, Nguyen Vo Anh Tuan, suffered from a serious illness, being confined to his hospital bed since the age of 11 due to Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

This is a hereditary neuromuscular disease, primarily affecting boys. The first sign is muscle weakness in the proximal limbs, which then progressively worsens, affecting muscles distal to the proximal limbs, respiratory muscles, and so on. Eventually, the child will be unable to walk, and both smooth muscle and cardiac muscle are affected. Patients usually die from respiratory failure or cardiomyopathy between the ages of 15 and 25.

Unable to let their child slowly approach death, Ms. Suong and her husband took him to major hospitals across the country hoping to meet talented doctors or find a miracle that would help him recover. But all their efforts were in vain; at the age of 11, Tuan could no longer walk. Also in that year – 2009 – Ms. Suong's husband suffered a stroke and passed away.

It's impossible to recount all the hardships that Ms. Suong and her daughter have endured. They sold their house to pay for their daughter's medical treatment, and the family moved from one rented room to another countless times because landlords feared the patient might die in their home. The most precious things the family always carries with them are the portrait of her late husband and father, and the certificates of academic achievement of her daughter.

Despite facing numerous heartbreaking hardships, the mother and son always thought of others. Before leaving this world, 22-year-old Nguyen Vo Anh Tuan left behind an invaluable gift: corneas from his eyes, helping two people in Quang Tri and Ha Tinh regain their sight.

Touched by her son's unwavering will and deep affection for life, and by her noble heart and resilience, readers and the Nguoi Lao Dong newspaper connected with the local community to provide support not only in terms of work but also by contributing money to build a charity house.

Le Ngoc Han Primary School (District 1, Ho Chi Minh City) donated 66 million VND; businesswoman Le Anh Thien Thu donated 30 million VND; and Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper contributed an additional 100 million VND to support Ms. Vo Thi Suong. The "Scholarship Program to Support Ethnic Minority and Poor Students" - founded by Mr. Truong Hoa Binh and managed by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper - also donated 10 million VND to Ms. Vo Thi Suong's daughter as financial support for her studies.

From a pot of porridge to a house of compassion

Also in Phu Yen, Mr. and Mrs. Phan Ngoc Phuong (born in 1960), residing in An Hoa village, Duc Binh Tay commune, Song Hinh district - were among the 75 people attending the national conference to commend and honor outstanding role models, on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of President Ho Chi Minh's Call for Patriotic Emulation (June 11, 1948 - June 11, 2023).

According to author Phan Van Luong, in March 2020, while writing about a case in Song Hinh district, he accidentally learned about Mr. and Mrs. Phan Ngoc Phuong – the subjects of the article "Farmer couple doing good deeds" – who were helping many disadvantaged and unfortunate people.

With the 400,000 VND remaining after their treatment trip to the Ho Chi Minh City Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion, Mr. Phan Ngoc Phuong and his wife, Ms. Nguyen Thi Ly, started their charitable activities by providing 100 servings of porridge for the elderly and children in Duc Binh Tay commune.

Upon hearing the news, their three children, relatives, and small business owners recognized the humanitarian significance of this act and regularly contributed money. Thanks to this, the charitable porridge pot run by Mr. and Mrs. Phuong - Ly continues to provide 100-300 servings every Saturday and Sunday.

Over the past six years (2017-2023), Mr. and Mrs. Phuong - Ly have acted as a bridge, mobilizing numerous businesses, charitable organizations, and philanthropists to support the construction of six "Houses of Compassion" worth over 270 million VND; drilled 14 new water wells for ethnic minority families; provided funeral assistance of 6-8 million VND each to nearly 300 lonely and disadvantaged individuals; donated 115 wheelchairs to people with disabilities; and distributed thousands of gifts.

With the motto "Those in need come to receive - Those with surplus come to contribute," for over four years, a "Zero-Cost Store" has been established at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Phuong - Ly, offering new and used clothing, shoes, rice, instant noodles, fish sauce, cooking oil, MSG, etc. During the same period, they also mobilized funds from benefactors to provide regular monthly support to 15 disadvantaged families in Duc Binh Tay commune, Song Hinh district.

The beautiful source of life continues to flow.

The way the people of Phu Yen express their compassion, just like many people across our country today, shows that living beautifully is a tradition and a moral principle of the Vietnamese people. The wellspring of beautiful living continues to flow and surge through life. Depending on circumstances and economic conditions, people develop charitable hearts. Amidst countless difficulties and despair, the light of righteousness still shines through.

The way the 22-year-old gave shows that he is not lost, but that he remains in this world through the light he brought to two others; his family has gained more loved ones to cherish for the rest of their lives.

Mr. and Mrs. Phuong - Ly's charitable work is as genuine as their personalities, giving from seemingly small things, like a warm bowl of porridge for the poor, to wheelchairs or charity homes. They give without expecting anything in return, but what they receive is joy and peace of mind from helping those in need. Opening their hearts, helping the community, and bringing about good life lessons and values is truly precious.

BUI PHAN THAO

Source: https://baophuyen.vn/94/325218/long-nhan-cua-nguoi-dat-phu.html