Twenty-one years ago, Thang (born in 1981, from Thai Nguyen) was a healthy young man filled with dreams. He owned a mechanical workshop in Tich Luong Ward, working diligently day after day to save money to get married, build a house, and foster a comfortable home.

However, during that very year, a disaster struck, robbing him of a part of his body and shattering the simple dreams he was nurturing.

"While installing corrugated iron sheets for a construction project, I accidentally suffered an electric shock," he recounted.

Thang was rushed to the emergency room and transferred to a national central hospital shortly after. Within a short span of time, he heard the doctor announce every day that another part of his arms or legs had to be amputated to preserve his life. 

About a month later, waking up with his remaining limbs tightly wrapped in bandages, he finally realized he had lost everything. Three months later, he was discharged, and for the next three years, he continually entered and left the hospital to treat his remaining wounds.

"I thought my life was over. Other people spend money on medical treatment to gain health and a whole body, whereas no matter how much money I spent, I could never return to how I was before."

He forever remembers his mother's encouraging words: "I thought I had lost you. Now that you can still call out 'father' and 'mother,' I will cure your illness by any means possible." Out of love for his parents, he forced himself to dismiss any thoughts of self-harm.

Three years after the accident, he was fitted with prosthetic legs. Having lost both arms, he had no way to hold onto anything for support, taking him half a year just to practice standing firmly on the two prosthetic legs. After that, it took him more than five years of training to walk steadily on these legs.

"That process was unspeakably painful," Thang said.

The light of life

Amid those days of agony-filled training, Thang found the light of his life. Duong Thi Thoa (originally from Nga Son, Thanh Hoa) arrived, lifting up a man who was gradually losing hope due to the amputation of all four limbs.

Thang shared that he became acquainted with Thoa through a family introduction. His maternal hometown is in Thanh Hoa, and his maternal uncle, a close friend of Thoa’s family for many years, had repeatedly shared the sad story of Thang's life with them.

"Having obtained Thoa's phone number, I called to talk. To be honest, during that time, I spoke with her mother and older sister more often. They did not look down on me; on the contrary, they felt deeply sympathetic toward my situation," Thang said.

Thanks to the encouragement from her mother and older sister, Thoa opened her heart to Thang. After the two sides chatted for about a month, Thang and 10 other family members caught a long-distance bus, traveling 220 kilometers to visit her home.

He still remembers that, at that point, he could only walk a distance of about a dozen meters on his prosthetic legs. It was with great difficulty that he reached her house, requiring people to assist him just to walk from the yard into the living room.

Her house was crowded that day; relatives and neighbors alike stared at him with curious eyes. Only her parents, her older sister, and Thoa herself offered him a look filled with warmth and kindness.

"I think there is no way to explain her family's support other than the single word 'love,'" Thang shared.

Following that meeting, the two families visited each other frequently, and the affection between Thang and Thoa grew steadily. Her love became a mental anchor, helping lift his spirits.

Four months later, they organized their wedding. Thang’s family hosted over 10 tables of guests, while Thoa’s family opened 70 tables to invite relatives and neighbors to join the joy. Thang, with his impaired arms and legs, traveled over 200 kilometers to welcome his bride home.

Thang and his wife currently run a store selling mobile phone accessories in Thai Nguyen. They have two children: a 16-year-old boy and an 8-year-old girl. For the past 17 years, Thoa has acted as both the hands and feet of her husband.

Thanh Minh