Nhan, 64, has a Cambodian-born husband. Both Nhan and her husband are taller than 1.5 meters. The couple has five children. The oldest and youngest have normal height and physical conditions, but the third, fourth and fifth are small in stature. 

Nguyen Thi Diem, 39, is 1.1 meters tall. Nguyen Van Do, 37, is 1 meter and Nguyen Van Luong, 35, is nearly 1.2 meters. Luong’s wife is also small.

“The first daughter was born and has normal physical conditions. The three next children were over 3 kilograms at birth. But they did not grow much,” Nhan told reporters.

Nhan said she doesn’t know why her children are short. “All of our relatives are tall,” she said.

Because of their difficult financial situation, Nhan could not bring her children to hospital for examination. It was difficult to raise them.

“The third child could not walk until he was six years old. The next child began walking at the age of 10. They moved by ‘rolling’. The youngest child could walk when he was one year old,” Nhan said.

Nhan’s family is among poor households in the locality. She and her husband work as fishermen and hired laborers. 

“As the children were too small, I had to carry them on my back to school,” she said. “The school was far away, and our financial conditions were limited, so they had to drop out.”

However, though her children are small in stature, have short limbs and are hunchback, they are good natured, live happily, and are always optimistic.

Nhan tells her children to ignore the gossip and whispers of people about their appearance. "I want them to try to live well, be optimistic, happy, not pushy, and try to to rise up in life," she said.

Diem, her third daughter, works as a chair weaver and can earn tens of thousands of dong a day. Meanwhile, Do, the fourth son, earns his living by selling lottery tickets and helps run the grocery of the family.

Luong, the fifth son, now lives in Dong Nai with his daughter and also sells lottery tickets. They are also athletes with disabilities, having won many medals. They are now preparing for a tournament.

Thien Chi