Nguyen Thi Thuong (born 2000, from Thanh Hoa) calls her 15 sq m rented room “Thuong’s little corner.” There, she lives, works, cooks, cleans and enjoys everyday moments.

At 25, the young woman with a slight disability chose to live independently away from home to prove, “I can live well with the body my parents gave me.”

Thuong is the eldest of three siblings in a family where her parents work as motorbike taxi drivers and small vendors. Born without her left arm, she was named “Thuong,” reflecting her parents’ boundless love.

When she started primary school, Thuong became more aware of her disability. Classmates teased her, calling her “the one-armed kid” or saying “she’ll never amount to anything.” Even now, Thuong vividly remembers coming home in tears and being comforted in her father’s arms.

Determined not to give in, Thuong learned to do everything. She mastered personal hygiene, dressing, brushing her hair, cooking, and carrying things with one hand. When her parents raised livestock, she learned to chop banana leaves, tend vegetables, cook feed, and carry it to the pigs.

Seeing her friends ride bicycles, she tried to learn to ride a bike too, despite the challenge. Her legs still bear scars from falls during those practice sessions.

“The hardest thing for me was using a ruler. With one hand, I couldn’t hold the ruler and draw a line at the same time. So, my father made me a heavy iron ruler that wouldn’t shift when placed on paper. It was so heavy that it tore my schoolbag, but it helped me through childhood,” Thuong recalled.

Now, Thuong doesn’t know what’s “too hard” for her, because she can do everything a typical person can. When facing challenges, she finds solutions instead of complaining or giving up. “I realize that compared to those who’ve lost both arms or legs, I’m far luckier,” she said.

Inspiring character

After high school, Thuong studied pharmacy at a junior college. Handling and dispensing medicine with one hand proved inconvenient, so she decided to shift to another business.

She ventured into fashion retail, taking sales courses to gain experience. In 2023, she moved to Hanoi to study and work as a sales consultant, opening new opportunities.

“There was a time I applied to many places and got rejected. After each interview, they’d say I wasn’t suitable. Months of this left me frustrated and stressed. I once thought, if only I had two arms, I’d have more opportunities, but that thought passed quickly,” Thuong recalled.

In early 2025, Thuong returned to Thanh Hoa to work as a sales consultant for a paint company. She also took a photo design job for a project supporting people with disabilities.

Her workplace is 35 km from home, so Thuong rented a 15 sqm room with a mezzanine, sufficient for a bed, wardrobe, kitchen, and a practical living space.

“When I moved in, I had to clean and arrange everything alone. With one hand, moving things was tough, but bit by bit, I got everything in order,” Thuong said.

Over the past six months, Thuong’s life has settled into a routine. She works all day, shops for groceries in the evening, cooks, and does side jobs at night for extra income.

In her free time, Thuong films her daily life and posts on TikTok. Videos of Thuong swiftly peeling fruit, cooking, and cleaning with one hand, always with a cheerful face, have inspired many.

Thuong reads positive comments from netizens. Those in similar situations express empathy, while others facing challenges find renewed hope and motivation.

She remembers a young mother’s messages about her son, who also lacks one arm. The mother shared her concerns about teaching her son to be confident and independent, to live well with resilience.

Thuong shared how she learned to do everything and motivated herself. One day, the mother excitedly told Thuong about things her son had learned and accomplished. Thuong realized she had somehow spread positive energy to others.

“I’ve learned that everyone has their struggles; it’s about how we face and overcome them. Every day, I remind myself that being able to live and work is already happiness, missing a little or being slightly imperfect doesn’t matter,” Thuong said.

Thanh Minh