New Year gathering is an opportunity for disabled people to encourage each other to overcome difficulties in their life. Photo N.S

This year, children who came to the meeting with their parents were given VND60000 as fortune money. The number 60 means that the meeting has been held for the sixth time. This is the great effort because disabled people tried their best to participate in such a gathering.

2. Among members of the Nguyen Nga center, Phan Thi Luc is the first one getting married. She attended the meeting with her 10-year-old son. When she was a child, a fire accident made her face deform and her hands were seriously injured.

She had always thought she would live alone forever until one of her friends advised her to have a child. “When giving birth, I faced many difficulties,” she said. “What we have now is thanks to the help from those who are in the same boat and benefactors.” Luc always had a happy look towards her son during the talk.

Dinh Minh Tuan, who is visually impaired, and his wife Pham Thi Mai brought their 4-year-old son to the gathering. Many said Tuan and his son were as like as two peas.

“When I gave birth, he couldn’t help me because he is blind,” Mai said. “Only when my son was 7-8 month could he dare to carry him in his arms.”

The hearing-impaired couple Huynh Van Sanh and Nguyen Thi Cam Nhung always smiled at people around. They only can talk to the others by using hands.

Sanh said he was going to go to work in Ho Chi Minh City in a few days and his wife would go there later. When I curiously asked how they could teach their son to speak, Nhung said he learnt from his grandparents, teachers, and his friends at the kindergarten.

3. There were 30 couples and 26 children invited to the meeting at the beginning of the New Year. Many come from districts in Binh Dinh and neighboring provinces of Phu Yen and Gia Lai.

The couple Thao and Son said they took their daughter from Phu Yen to Quy Nhon several days ago. Both are paralyzed in one leg and work as lottery ticket sellers in HCM City. Thanks to their friends who worked at the Nguyen Nga Center, they participated in the gathering.

“This is the first time we’ve joined such a meeting for disabled people,” Son said. “We had a chance to meet those who are in the same boat to share difficulties.” Son also said their son had to live with his grandparents in Phu Yen when they returned to HCM City and they only could see him once a year.

The couple Nguyen Thanh Binh and Ha Thi Thanh Tam are always optimistic despite many difficulties in their life. Binh works as a doorkeeper at the center and Tam is a cook here. They have two sons. “Although my wife is a disabled woman, I will love her forever,” Binh said. “I always feel happy with my family.”

***

The disabled people get familiar with happiness, failure, success, and effort. All of them must make all-out effort when pursuing happiness; therefore, they are twice as happy as the others. They respect what they get – a family, which could be seen in each person’s eyes.

• Nguyen Suong