The extraordinary determination of a student who lost all four limbs to pursue his dream of graphic design

At the exam site of Nguyen Tri Phuong High School (District 10, Ho Chi Minh City) for the 2025 high school graduation exam, a very special candidate was recorded: Nguyen Gia Lam, despite having no arms or legs, still firmly pursued his dream of going to university with rare determination.

The extraordinary determination of a student who lost all four limbs to pursue his dream of graphic design.

Nguyen Gia Lam is a 12th grade student at Dien Hong Secondary and High School (District 10). Despite facing a dire situation of losing all four limbs, Gia Lam still steadfastly pursues his dream of becoming a graphic design student.

Gia Lam suffered from congenital heart disease since birth. At the age of 2, he was taken to the Ho Chi Minh City Heart Institute for surgery in the hope of improving his health. However, the surgery that was supposed to save his life led to complications of total necrosis of his limbs. The family was forced to sign a consent form to amputate all four limbs to save his life.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Manh is fastening Gia Lam's helmet strap before going to the exam.

Gia Lam's mother kissed and wished her son good luck in his exam.

“My child was healthy, but after just one surgery, he became permanently disabled. That was the most desperate time for our family,” Nguyen Thi Manh, Gia Lam’s mother, tearfully recounted.

The terrible disease not only robbed Lam of his healthy body but also made his family fall into poverty. His parents had to do all kinds of jobs to support their three children's education. But despite his cruel fate, the little student did not give up.

At 6:30 a.m. on June 26, Gia Lam's sister drove her to the exam location.

Without hands to hold a pen, without legs to walk, Gia Lam still learned to use his elbows flexibly to hold the phone, type, write articles... He practiced and performed all the skills that seemed impossible with amazing determination.

When arriving at the exam site at Nguyen Tri Phuong High School (District 10), Gia Lam was carried to the exam room by volunteers.

Every day when Gia Lam goes to school, his twin brother Gia Hung takes him to and from school, helps him change clothes, and takes care of his meals. However, he always tries to live independently as much as possible so as not to become a burden to his family and society.

Gia Lam's extraordinary determination is a motivation and a shining example for the candidates.

“Lam is very obedient and self-disciplined. He even told his mother that if he couldn't handle it, he would quit school so she wouldn't have to worry,” Ms. Manh said. But it was that resilience that motivated the whole family not to give up hope.

In this year’s high school graduation exam, Gia Lam chose to write the test by himself instead of asking for help, even though it made him much more tired. “I wanted to express my thoughts in my own words because I was afraid that if I spoke, the person assisting me would not fully understand what I meant,” Gia Lam shared.

Gia Lam shared that he had done well on his test this morning, just had some difficulty writing it himself.

According to Gia Lam, this morning's Literature exam was within his ability, he could read it and do it right away. However, because his writing ability was not as fast as his classmates, he could not fully convey his ideas. Gia Lam said that he had completed about 90% of today's exam.

Gia Lam did not set a specific school as her goal, but instead put her faith in her field of study. “I want to study Graphic Design because it is a creative job that is not boring and I think I can do it,” Lam said.

The older sister went to school to pick Gia Lam up after finishing the test this morning.

Although he was worried that going to university would put more burden on his mother, and even though he did not know who would pick him up and drop him off when his brother went to a different school, Gia Lam was still determined to pursue his dream. For him, studying was not only to have a job but also to prove that he was not inferior to anyone. A disabled person can still succeed if he is brave and makes an effort.

Source: https://baotintuc.vn/nguoi-tot-viec-tot/nghi-luc-phi-thuong-cua-chang-hoc-tro-mat-tu-chi-nuoi-uoc-mo-thiet-ke-do-hoa-20250626121850452.htm