“Life takes his eight fingers away, but gives him extraordinary willpower,” a commenter said about the admiration of Huynh Tan Phat, born in 1996, in Long An province, when the man shared his video about his daily life.

Tan Phat was born with only one finger on each hand and two toes on each feet.

However, Phat still can lead a happy life. With just two fingers on his hands, he can do everything himself rather than rely on parents and family members. 

He even has skills that others cannot do, such as embroidery and sewing.

The videos posted on his TikTok channel shows the man sewing clothes, writing on paper, and cooking quickly with just two fingers.

Phat admitted that he experienced tough days in the past. With his hands, his childhood was more difficult than his peers. 

And the most difficult thing was writing. 

“Teachers could not help me practice writing all the time. I had to manage to do this for a long time,” he recalled.

“While my friends could hold the pen with one hand, I had to hold it with both hands. The back of my hand rested against the table to keep the notebook still, while the two fingers held the pen to write every letter. Practicing over and over again, I got used to it, and finally, I could write like my friends," Phat said.

Also with his strong will, Phat learned to do other things, such as changing clothes, wearing shoes and cooking. With just two fingers, he faced a lot of challenges, but he was never dispirited.

However, Phat still needs to practice, because there are still some things he still cannot do, such as nailing and repairing electricity and water works.

“This kind of work can only be done with more fingers. I have to seek support from relatives and neighbors,” he said. “As for other things, I have found a way to do them myself. I want to be independent and not to be a burden to my family members."

Creating faith in a bright future

Phat said he feels lucky as he has never experienced discrimination. He receives support from friends in everything, from learning to daily life.

His family members also give him encouragement and compliments. For his mother, Phat is the son who needs protection.

“I learned to sew, embroider and cook from my mom. She is very patient and I am not afraid of making mistakes,” he said.

When graduating from high school, Phat passed the entrance exam to a junior college (3-year training), but he stopped after one year of study because of financial problems.

His mother is very good at sewing, so he decided to learn sewing. The job requires meticulousness and skills. It took Phat a lot of effort and perseverance to become proficient at sewing.

“Can I do this?” he wondered. "What should I do if I mistakenly break the needle?” “Which finger should I use to hold the fabric still and which finger to operate the sewing machine?” 

A lot of questions were raised and he had to find out ways to solve the problems.

“At first, I pedaled the sewing machine quickly, so the needle broke and the sewing failed. Later, I worked slowly but surely, drawing experience each day, and finally I was able to sew proficiently,” Phat recalled.

Nowadays, Phat works for a garment company. He is in charge of some phases of the production process. After four years of working, he can sew very well, a job that can bring him money support his family.

Phat’s decision to post videos on TikTok to share information about his daily life makes him happy as he can receive positive compliments and encouragement from netizens. Some people contacted Phat and told him that Phat’s strong energy helps them keep trust in their lives.

Thanh Minh