
From wanting to go to medical school to cure her mother’s illness, to fulfilling a promise she made to her mother in a different way, to striving to do more for her family and herself – Photo: Khanh Huyen
Finally, the 18-year-old girl from Ho Chi Minh City’s wish of becoming a student at Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy has come true. But this is just the beginning of a desire to cure all, as tuition fees for the coming years still pose a major challenge for Thuong’s family.
My wish to cure my mother’s illness is unfulfilled
When my mother was still alive and my father was still healthy, the Thuong family’s situation was not as difficult as it is now.
That day, Mrs. Le Thi Mai Duyen – Thuong’s mother – struggled everywhere, asking for everything to be done, despite suffering a sudden heart attack. As for Thuong’s father – Mr. Nguyen Thanh Tuan – now about 60 years old, he works as a mason’s assistant, so when the work is difficult, with his advancing age, his Finding a job becomes even more difficult.
On days when he didn’t have work, he took advantage of the opportunity to earn extra money by driving motorcycle taxis and working as a “cab worker” (no matter who you bump into, that’s what you call him. Which you do). Although the amount of money the couple earns is not much, it is enough to meet the family expenses.
I love my mother who is ill and my father who is struggling to make ends meet. Thuong works hard to study. Her intention to pursue a medical career so she could treat her mother’s illness was just emerging when COVID-19 struck.
Thuong’s mother, who has heart disease, was taken to the hospital when she first became infected with COVID-19. She remained there for about a week and then passed away.
After that incident the daughter’s dream remained unfulfilled.
Everything happened so fast that Thuong suddenly became an orphan. At that time the 16 year old girl could only cry and was crying bitterly. Thuong wanted to leave school.
While burning incense on her mother’s altar, her daughter remembered her mother’s words. Thuong realized that to escape poverty he had to work hard and study, which was the only way to help himself and his family.
From then on, Thuong focused more on studies and forgot about time. And Thuong has recently become a new student studying Midwifery (Ho Chi Minh City University of Medicine and Pharmacy).
Even without her mother, her dream of studying and working in a hospital environment still motivated Thuong to try. Sometimes, Thuong sheds tears whenever she hears someone mention her mother.
Save every penny you have to go to school
The day Thuong received the news that he had passed the university entrance examination for the first time, the rented house in a small street in District 8 (HCMC) was filled with laughter. But that happiness didn’t last long when everyone found out about four years of college tuition.
Tuition fees are high, each year increasing more than the previous year while Thuong’s father is getting older and the family is becoming more and more difficult. Ms. Nguyen Le Nhu (25 years old) – Thuong’s elder sister – works as an office worker. To reassure her father, Ms. Nu borrowed money to pay her younger sister’s first semester tuition fees.
More than anyone else, Ms. Nu really wants her sister to study well. But with the current situation, it is really not easy to follow that journey. She has mostly asked to borrow it from places where she can borrow it.
“In March of next year, I have to pay for the second semester, so from now on I have to slowly save money, and then borrow more to be able to pay the tuition on time” – Nhu Ne Thuong He whispered to her, while also trying to encourage her. younger sister.
Mr. Nam (55 years old) – the Thuong family’s neighbor – spoke highly of the studious girl next door when talking about them. “There are many families here who have sisters, but they pity Mr. Tuan’s old age and now the scene of “raising a child,” Mr. Nam said.
Thuong is old enough to understand his family situation. To share the burden with her sister, she once applied to work as a kitchen assistant in a restaurant. Unfortunately, the university schedule was very busy, as well as a lot of specialized knowledge and difficulty, so I had to take time off from work.
Whenever she doesn’t have her class scheduled, Thuong takes the opportunity to help her sister sell groceries a little.
(TagstoTranslate)Heart Disease(T)Support School(T)Nguyen Le Thuong(T)HCMC University of Medicine and Pharmacy(T)COVID-19