In his memories, Nguyen Van Minh, residing in Phu Lac commune in Tuy Phong district, Binh Thuan province (now Lien Huong commune, Lam Dong province), recalls being called Thuan as a child. He estimates he is now around 55 years old.

Illiterate, Minh earns a living by collecting dry firewood to sell. He takes various jobs like herding goats, sheep, and laboring for others to support his four children. With a government loan, he built a house for shelter.

“Others have parents, but I don’t. Sometimes I cried quietly, feeling lonely and missing my parents and siblings. I just wanted to find my parents, know my family is safe, and let my children know their relatives. That’s enough,” Minh said.

He doesn’t remember where he got lost, but remembers that it was a white sandy beach like a desert, with a ferry, a market, and a playful childhood under the sun and wind, with his mother calling him home for dinner. He remembers a school friend, calling each other “mi” and “ta.” (“you” and “me”)

He also recalls his father’s name was Ta, his mother Huong, and siblings named Ti and Cuong. Yet, he doubted that these small details could help him find his biological parents.

Lost at a market

In 1980, Minh got lost when going with his mother to the market. He was taken in by foster parents who named him Nguyen Van Minh. His foster family, living in Binh Thuan (now Lam Dong), had eight children, and he became the ninth child.

And he later married and had four sons. He always felt sad and missed his hometown but didn’t search for it due to a tough life and scarce information. Despite hardships, he and his wife love and support each other.

After his foster father’s failed attempt to find his biological family, Minh gave up on the dream. He focused on working to support his family.

A kind neighbor named Tam, aware of his situation, sympathized. Tam’s daughter wrote to the TV program “Nhu Chua He Co Cuoc Chia Ly” (As If There Was Never a Separation) to help Minh find his biological family.

Through the neighbor’s letter, the program narrowed down the search. They identified the white sandy “desert” Minh described: it is Binh Dinh (now Gia Lai).

During the search, the program found a location, Hoai Hai commune, Hoai Nhon district, Binh Dinh (now Hoai Nhon Dong ward ward, Gia Lai province).

Unexpected return

Pham Thi Lai (from Lien Huong, Lam Dong) recounted that Thuan (now Minh) was fair-skinned in childhood, mischievous, and loved teasing others.

Thuan’s grandfather, Vo Tru, had migrated to the north in 1954, leaving his two children, Vo Ta and Vo Thi Tia, with foster parents.

Thuan’s father was Vo Ta, and his mother Tran Thi Huong, matching Minh’s memories. Thuan’s aunt Vo Thi Tia (71), married and stayed in the hometown.

Ta navigated to Tuy Hoa, Phu Yen (now Dak Lak), where he got married and had his first son, named Thuan, then returned to his hometown. In 1975, when Vo Tru returned, Ta and his wife gave birth to four sons. When the fifth child was still in the mother's womb, it was not clear whether it was a boy or a girl. 

Tru wanted to bring a grandchild back to his hometown to raise because he thought that having five sons would be an ominous sign as per Feng Shui. But before he could do that, his first grandson, Thuan, got lost.

Five years later, someone reported a boy resembling Thuan in My Duc commune, Phu My district in Binh Dinh (now Phu My Bac, Gia Lai). They found a boy herding cattle on a mountain, living with an elderly woman. The family believed it was Thuan due to a familiar scar and gesture. 

But three years later, in 1988, the boy died of illness and was buried on family land. Months after “Thuan’s” death, Ta, heartbroken, moved the family to Nha Trang, Khanh Hoa. After five sons, they had a daughter.

Ta’s wife passed away in 2008 and he died at 77.

Unable to read the DNA test results, Thuan (now Minh) moved his siblings who were in the TV studio audience to tears.

During the reunion, the family embraced and wept. After years of being thought gone forever, Thuan reunited with his biological family. The six siblings met on stage, tears streaming.

Perhaps, in the afterlife, Ta and Huong can rest in peace, knowing their son has finally returned.

Tu Linh