Born in a poor rural village in the former Ha Tay Province (now Hat Mon Commune, Hanoi), fate handed Hien Giang a series of harsh trials from the moment she was born. A premature baby, she was as fragile as a baby bird, and spent more than two months in an incubator fighting for her life. Just when her family thought she had escaped death, life tested her again.
When she was two years old, while other children were running and playing, her legs stiffened and refused to straighten. Doctors diagnosed her with congenital cerebral palsy, which felt like a heavy sentence for her family. But her parents refused to give up. They took her everywhere, trying every remedy, shedding tears, and selling what little they had. Her childhood was spent in and out of hospital, , undergoing surgeries, and painful walking exercises.
At the age of four, Giang underwent a surgery to straighten her legs. She described it as “the hardest trial of my childhood”, as the pain was unbearable. Afterward, she was sent to the Thuy An Rehabilitation Center for the Disabled in Hanoi. Spending half a month in plaster, lying still in bed, and then being forced to stand on painful legs for the first time, it was agonizing. “I fell, scraped my knees, and cried my heart out”, she recalled, “but seeing my parents’ care and thinking of the chance to walkmade me stand up and keep moving”.
Her journey to school was equally arduous. Giang did not enter the first grade until she was seven. But instead of joy, the classroom brought bullying. Nicknames like “cripple” and “limper” hurt her deeply, making her want to quit school. Yet instead of surrendering, she studied harder every day, determined to prove that her physical differences could not stop her from achieving academically or spiritually.
By the time she reached middle school, Giang began selling things online to help her parents. At high school, she found comfort in disability support groups, where she learned self-love and confidence. Those experiences inspired her to dream bigger: not only to live independently but also to help others like her find dignity and jobs.
In 2022, Giang was accepted into her dream school, the University of Commerce, where she majored in Business Administration. She commutes 20 km daily by bus, having refused to live in the city. Duringthe day, she attends lectures, and at night, she works as an online sales consultant to cover her expenses. Every step she takes brings her closer to achieving her dream.
Now in her third year, Giang excels academically and actively joins clubs and volunteer activities, spreading her resilience and purpose to the community. Her greatest aspiration is to build a small business that provides employment opportunities for people with disabilities, helping them live with confidence, independence, and dignity. This week’s Station of Love gift will help to make her dream a reality.
The program promises to take viewers on a moving and emotional journey of extraordinary determination. Amidst life’s challenges, Station of Love offers a pause to feel humanity, gratitude, and rebirth through adversity.
Tune in at 10:00 AM on September 13 on VTV1.
