HEART OF CHARITY
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong, born in 1956, had to raise 3 children in poverty due to her husband's early death. Despite the hardships of life, she still tried her best to do everything so that her children could get a good education and escape poverty.
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| Ms. Hong (3rd from right) received a Certificate of Merit from the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee for her many contributions to social security work in the province in 2024. |
The years of hardship helped her deeply understand the suffering of the poor. Therefore, after her family life stabilized, Ms. Hong did not forget the less fortunate lives around her. She started her volunteer journey when she clearly felt the deprivation, difficulties, and hardships of the poor people around her.
With a woman’s figure and gray hair, Ms. Hong has long been a familiar image in the hearts of Long Hung commune residents. Wherever there are sick or disadvantaged people, especially children with heart disease or elderly people needing eye surgery, people call Ms. Hong.
This year, despite being over 70 years old, Ms. Hong has gotten used to waking up at 4am in the morning to prepare documents for a free heart surgery or taking the elderly to eye surgeries at hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City. Her job is unpaid, without title, without noisy advertising, but for her, “helping someone makes her happy”.
Therefore, when she had “enough to eat and wear”, Ms. Hong wanted to contribute a part of her efforts to help the poor to ease some of the difficulties and sadness in life. She shared: “I went to many places, witnessed many poor families in need of help, including many children with congenital heart disease and people who were blind because they did not have money for heart surgery, eye surgery or their families were in dire straits… which made me very sad. After that, I thought: If I don’t do it, who will?”. And from there, she began her journey of connecting love.
Starting in 2007, Ms. Hong quietly researched, assisted in making documents, contacted benefactors, charitable organizations, and large hospitals to request eye surgery for people in difficult circumstances. The first batch of patients that Ms. Hong took to have eye surgery at Hospital 115 - Ho Chi Minh City was 200 people.
All travel, food, and hospital expenses are covered by donors. If she does not have enough funds, she can ask her family members to contribute. To date, Ms. Hong has successfully provided free eye surgery to nearly 1,000 patients - meaning nearly 1,000 lives have regained their sight.
Not stopping there, Ms. Hong also mobilized organizations and philanthropists to help provide free heart surgery for children with serious illnesses. There are many cases where the children are too young and have serious illnesses that require timely surgery, otherwise their lives will be affected and she is always on duty at the hospital to monitor the children's health.
In the first 6 months of 2025, Ms. Hong supported over 13 heart surgeries for poor children in the province and neighboring areas. Each case is a story, each child is a ray of hope lit by kindness.
CONTINUE DOING GOOD WORK IN SILENCE
During charity trips, she is always the first to arrive at the hospital, taking care of the patients, taking care of every little detail from meals to giving instructions to the patients. She does not discriminate between rich and poor, as long as she can help, she will do it.
Ms. Hong recalled: “When the baby was taken to the operating table, I stood outside shaking all over. When the doctor announced the surgery was successful, I cried as if my own child had been saved. One of the cases that she remembers forever is DK - a child with a serious heart condition, poor family, living with his grandmother, mother left when he was young, father working for hire, life was precarious. She contacted a charity organization in Ho Chi Minh City herself, took care of transportation and food expenses, and accompanied her during the post-operative process. Now, she is in 4th grade, healthy, and studying well. |
Ms. Hong never sought attention or fame. She worked quietly, but her efforts helped many people. For her, the greatest joy was seeing patients recover and return to normal life.
Ms. Hong shared: “My life is not rich and I do not expect anyone to repay me, I just hope they live better.” In addition to mobilizing organizations and philanthropists to help with free heart and eye surgeries, Ms. Hong also mobilized to build charity houses, wheelchairs and thousands of gifts for the poor.
Currently, every day that passes by for Ms. Hong is always busy. She still receives people who come to ask for help, still busily prepares the application for heart surgery for the child in the neighboring commune, still prepares the list of patients for eye examination next month. No one forces her to do it, and there is no salary or bonus, but the only thing she has is a sincere and tireless heart.
“Bringing joy to others makes me feel much happier. As long as I am healthy, I will continue to do good deeds and help people in need. That is my happiness,” Ms. Hong happily confided, as a reminder of the value of kindness and love between people.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of society, Ms. Hong's silent actions are a living proof of the simplest things: Kindness still exists, spreading every day, not through big things, but through daily actions, with a persistent heart and an unwavering belief in human kindness.
She has proven that every small action of ours, no matter how small, can change someone's life. And in this life, there is nothing more precious than bringing happiness to others.
SONG AN
Source: https://baoapbac.vn/xa-hoi/202508/co-nguyen-thi-hong-tam-long-vang-giua-doi-thuong-1047761/
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