A father with steely resolve.

BPO - In everyone's life, there are relationships that don't require blood ties but are bound together by deep respect and love. For me, that person is my father-in-law. It may sound strange, but indeed, he is a man who has had a significant influence on my life. It's not through lofty teachings or grand deeds, but through his extraordinary resilience and the way he faces life's adversities.

For me, my father was not only a second father and the grandfather of my children, but also a shining example of admirable courage, optimism, and resilience. This was especially true during his nearly four-year, arduous battle with this terrible cancer.

On October 2021, when my second child was exactly one month old, my father was diagnosed with advanced-stage lung cancer. This coincided with the nationwide struggle against the Covid-19 pandemic, with hospitals overwhelmed, many areas under lockdown, and travel, examinations, and treatment extremely difficult. I was already grappling with countless worries and hadn't even recovered from childbirth when the devastating news about my father struck again. Everything seemed to collapse; the whole family was plunged into darkness and utter despair.

But amidst the harshest circumstances, it was my father—the one directly facing a "death sentence" hanging over his head—who remained the calmest. Without a word of complaint, without a single tear, he accepted everything with a gentle smile, as if illness were an inevitable part of life. On the contrary, he proactively reassured the whole family: "I will get through this." Because, before being a father and grandfather, he was a soldier—he had faced life and death on the brutal battlefield, having once confronted death by a hair's breadth.

And then Dad began his arduous battle against the "death sentence," not only with medicine and chemotherapy, but also with the steely spirit of a soldier of Uncle Ho's army. Throughout his time in the hospital, he never once complained. Each exhausting chemotherapy session, each time his blood count dropped to alarming levels, his skin turned pale like a banana leaf, his hair fell out in clumps, and he visibly weakened, but he always managed to smile, trying to maintain an optimistic spirit so that everyone in the family wouldn't worry. He still tried to sit up, practice breathing, eat, and move around on his own. When he couldn't eat rice, he switched to porridge and milk, finding every way to replenish his energy. He jokingly said: "I'll try to eat well, live long enough to find spouses for my grandchildren. They still need their grandfather"—a simple statement that contained a world of love and an indomitable spirit.

My father was so optimistic that people forgot he was suffering from a terminal illness. There were times when he went to the hospital for treatment by himself, without anyone accompanying him, still tending to and watering his garden – his daily passion – still making tea, playing chess with his friends, still whispering jokes and sharing life lessons with his children and grandchildren… It was this positive energy that pulled the whole family out of those anxious days teetering on the brink of life and death.

I once thought my father wouldn't make it. His body was frail, his illnesses severe, and the times were harsh... but then a miracle happened. After 35 grueling chemotherapy sessions spanning nearly four years, filled with difficulties and challenges, he gradually recovered spectacularly. During each follow-up visit, every test result, every tiny lymph node in his body slowly receded. The doctors who worked with him were astonished, calling it a miracle. I don't dare use the word "completely cured," but I and everyone else knew: he had won. That victory wasn't just the final result, but the entire journey he had undertaken – with an iron will and a heart that refused to surrender to fate.

Now, after those dark months battling illness, all that remains is a memory. Dad is still healthy, exercising around the house every morning, breathing in the fresh air, and playing with his grandchildren in the afternoons, who chirp "Grandpa!" This makes me realize that Dad's strength and resilience not only saved himself but also became a pillar of support for the entire family. Dad taught me that no matter how turbulent life gets, you should always hold onto your faith, because faith is ultimately what helps you stand firm against all the difficulties and challenges of life.

My father – not by blood, but the strongest pillar of support in my life as a daughter-in-law.

Hello, dear viewers! Season 4, themed "Father," officially launches on December 27, 2024, across four media platforms and digital infrastructures of Binh Phuoc Radio and Television and Newspaper (BPTV), promising to bring to the public the wonderful values ​​of sacred and beautiful fatherly love.
Please send your touching stories about fathers to BPTV by writing articles, personal reflections, poems, essays, video clips, songs (with audio recordings), etc., via email to chaonheyeuthuongbptv@gmail.com, Editorial Secretariat, Binh Phuoc Radio and Television and Newspaper Station, 228 Tran Hung Dao Street, Tan Phu Ward, Dong Xoai City, Binh Phuoc Province, phone number: 0271.3870403. The deadline for submissions is August 30, 2025.
High-quality articles will be published and shared widely, with payment for their contributions, and prizes will be awarded upon completion of the project, including one grand prize and ten outstanding prizes.
Let's continue writing the story of fathers with "Hello, My Love" Season 4, so that stories about fathers can spread and touch everyone's hearts!

Source: https://baobinhphuoc.com.vn/news/19/173046/nguoi-cha-voi-ban-linh-thep