When her daughter entered college, Ngo Thi Chuyen’s torment came to an end because her daughter was able to realise her dream for her.

Although Chuyen cannot see, she always prepares lunch for her daughter

Ngo Thi Chuyen and her daughter Nguyen Thi Huyen

“I am blind but I dreamed to enter university to become a teacher. I never stopped thinking about each lesson, each step towards that goal, unfortunately, I could not do it.”

Ngo Thi Chuyen was born in 1962 to a poor family at Hoang Liet Ward, Hoang Mai District, Hanoi. She suffered from Retinitis Pigmentosa (a type of progressive retinal dystrophy, a group of inherited disorders in which abnormalities of the photoreceptors or the retinal pigment epithelium of the retina lead to progressive visual loss) when she was young. Her father advised her not to go to school because he was worried that learning too much would make her eyes lose vision but she did not take his advice. She studied very hard to express her ability and to forget about her disease.

In 1981, she applied for Hanoi’s Pedagogic University. She did very well the first examination day but suddenly, she started losing her vision on the second day. She could not complete the examination. She failed to enter the university she dreamed of.

After that, her father took her to see a doctor but her retinas had suffered much damage. Her mother took her to many hospitals, desperately trying to treat her eyes but nothing worked.

In 1982, her mother passed away due to a brain stroke. Her father did not give up and continued taking her to see doctors. Nobody could help her. Her father then passed away four years later. She became alone in this world. After struggling after her parents passed away, she realised that she needed to be strong and determined to overcome challenges.

In 1988, Chuyen joined the Blind Association of Thanh Tri District, Hanoi where she could learn Braille and a profession. She learned to make bamboo brooms, fans or toothpicks to earn money. This was a difficult job with low income but she felt happy because she could contribute to society.

Her life took a turning point in 1989 when she met Nguyen Tien Cong who was also blind. He was born in Ha Tinh Province. They lived together in a house covering 10 square metres.

In 1990, her happiest moment came when she gave birth to a daughter. She and her husband opened a small beverage store near their house. She also made bamboo toothpicks and brooms at home to earn extra money.

Unfortunately, one day her husband did not want to stay with her so she brought her daughter back to her hometown. Her daughter grew up and was always well-behaved.

One day, she came to know that Hanoi’s Blind Association opened classes to help blind people become literate. She thought it was a very good chance for her to have money to bring up her daughter and she could complete her dream of being a teacher. She started teaching Braille in the Blind Associations in Dong Anh, Hoan Kiem, Hoang Mai, and Thanh Tri districts.
Chuyen often took her daughter with her and she felt happy because she could take care of her daughter and help other blind people. She also started gaining confidence in life and inspired others.

Chuyen was granted a certificate of praise by Hanoi’s Department of Education & Training because of her great contributions to the campaign of illiteracy eradication for blind people.

In 1996, she was appointed as Vice Chairman of Thanh Tri District’s Blind Association.

Chuyen’s daughter, Nguyen Thi Huyen concentrates intently on her studies. When she was in 8th grade, she was given a bicycle for her excellent study results. Chuyen always told her daughter, “I could not enter university so you need to study hard and realise my dream for me.”

In 2008, Huyen passed the entrance examination for the Industrial Economics and Technique College in Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi.

Huyen said, “I will try my best to study well so my mother will not have to worry about me.”