Orphaned early, Dang Trong Dinh (born 2003, from Nghe An) grew up with his grandparents. After graduating high school, Dinh decided to work to support his family while pursuing his passion for photography.

For two years, he traveled across the country, from north to south, taking on various jobs such as waiter, factory worker, and kitchen assistant.

In early 2024, Dinh suffered a tragic work-related electrical accident, resulting in the amputation of both forearms. The incident still leaves him shaken whenever he recalls it.

“I don’t know how to describe the feeling at that time. From being able-bodied, I suddenly lost both arms. When I woke up, I had to face the shock and an irreplaceable loss,” Dinh recounted.

In the initial period after the accident, Dinh felt despair and was emotionally devastated. However, thinking of his grandparents and aunt who stood by him, he resolved to be resilient, adopting the motto “being alive is already a blessing” as his guiding principle.

For the first four to five months, he relied on others for daily activities. Later, Dinh persistently practiced and learned to eat and manage tasks independently. He watched online videos, observing how others in similar situations coped, which gave him the motivation to overcome challenges.

With a passion for filming and experience in cooking, in early February 2025, Dinh started a TikTok channel to share his daily life and culinary videos.

He handles most tasks himself: setting up the camera, cooking, and editing videos. Occasionally, his aunt and kind neighbors assist with heavier tasks or those requiring hands, such as setting up a tripod or carrying pots.

Initially, Dinh chose simple, familiar dishes like pickled mustard greens, mashed sweet potatoes, stir-fried bean sprouts, and beef with nuc nac (Indian trumpet flower, or Oroxylum indicum (L.) Vent) flowers.

Each video, lasting only 2-3 minutes, takes him several days to complete, from preparing ingredients and cooking to filming and editing. Sometimes he can only post one or two videos a week.

Certain dishes, like stir-fried bean sprouts, required multiple attempts, sometimes taking a whole week to get right.

While cooking, Dinh often adjusts camera angles and positions to ensure the frame is visually appealing and impactful.

Each video is meticulously crafted, from the cooking process and narration to camera angles and color grading. As a result, his videos quickly garnered millions of views, along with numerous encouraging and praising comments.

“The accident left me struggling to stabilize and balance my life, but I hope to spread energy and optimism to those around me, especially to others in similar situations, he said.

Thao Trinh