August Episode of Kind Deeds: “Gifts of Hope” Extend Life

They will meet  a police officer who sells  chopsticks to raise funds for kidney patients; a man who has donated blood 111 times; and a Red Cross officer who has tirelessly promoted cornea donation across rural areas of Ninh Binh Province.

Police officer with kidney disease sells chopsticks to support others in  similar  situation.

Giang A Thang, a police officer in Dien Bien, was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease  when he was 24 years old. His family, already struggling financially, had placed high hopes for him, so the news came as a shock. But instead of giving in, Mr. Thang chose to confront his condition head-on. He moved to the “dialysis neighborhood”, home to dozens of  impoverished patients, some walking on crutches and others unable to afford medication, yet all displaying remarkable resilience.

It was here that   Mr. Thang and  his fellow patients created the “Bundle of Loving Chopsticks” initiative, making and selling handmade bamboo chopsticks to raise funds for others in similar circumstances. They sell between 6,000 and 7,000 pairs each month, providing an income for themselves while offering hope to the exhausted in body and spirit.

“Sometimes I get so caught up in making chopsticks that I forget my dialysis schedule, and the others have to remind me”, Thang shared on the program. He finds joy in seeing each bundle leave the neighborhood, carrying with it kindness sent to faraway places.

At the Kind Deeds TV studio, Mr. Thang also had a surprise meeting with Ms. Nguyen Thi Thuy, his “special agent” in Hanoi, who has sold 3,000 pairs of his chopsticks. This was the first time they had met in person.

The man who donated blood and platelets 111 times, believing that "what we give stays with us forever".

Having donated blood and platelets more than 111 times over the past 17 years, Mr. Nguyen Van Khanh, from Hung Yen Province  does not see  this as an  extraordinary   feat. For him, donating blood has simply become a habit – whenever someone is in need, he shows up.

As well as donating blood and platelets, Mr. Khanh has also registered as an organ donor. He always carries his organ donor card in his wallet, alongside a trophy honoring his contribution as an outstanding blood donor, which he calls his “most precious possession”.

Without fuss or fanfare, his quiet journey is proof that sustained kindness,  can achieve something extraordinary: keeping others alive.

Official from the village with the most  registered cornea donors in Vietnam

In Binh Minh Commune, Ninh Binh Province, it is not unusual for villagers to register to donate their corneas after  they die. They see it as a simple, kind, and significant gesture.

Leading this movement is Mr. Bui Trong Ky, Chairman of the Ninh Binh Red Cross. For years, he has quietly gone door-to-door, speaking with families and  encouraging them to register as cornea donors, setting an example by  registering himself. What began in a small hamlet has expanded to encompass the entire commune and has become a nationwide movement.

Binh Minh Commune   currently  has the largest  number of registered cornea donors in Vietnam, and it was also home to the first person in the country to donate corneas after death.

Each individual in August’s Kind Deeds has their own unique story. Yet they all share the same traits: they are neither wealthy nor famous, yet  they have given priceless gifts through their will to live, their generosity, and their refusal to give up. From handcrafted chopsticks to life-saving donations, these small acts, repeated over time, have become beacons of hope and faith for the community.

Don't miss the August episode of Kind Deeds, sponsored by THACO – Truong Hai Group, and will air at 20:10 on August 10, 2025, on VTV1 and the VTVgo app.