Heartbreaking story of an orphaned student who was repeatedly helpless in his dream of studying.

GD&TĐ - While his friends were excitedly entering school, Pham Gia Nghia quietly put away his admission notice and asked to work as a waiter at a noodle shop to earn money to help his mother.

Many times gave up the dream of studying

In a small noodle shop filled with the smell of broth and smoke, Pham Gia Nghia (born 2007, Dong Hoi ward, Quang Tri province) bends over to serve noodles to customers. Few people know that behind the lively and cheerful appearance of the noodle boy is a heartbreaking story. Gia Nghia should be in a lecture hall, not a noodle shop.

By some unknown chance, Nghia's mother, Vo Thi Hoa (born in 1968), met and married a man who was deaf and mute from birth. It seemed like the couple's life would have a ray of light when they had two children. Unfortunately, after a while, Nghia's father was diagnosed with a malignant tumor. The family's poverty increased, and they borrowed money from everywhere to save their father.

Nghia applied for a part-time job at a noodle shop with a salary of less than 2 million VND per month.

Tears welling up in her eyes, Ms. Hoa recounted: During the time of his illness, Nghia's father lost consciousness many times and left home to wander around the village, sometimes to the market or the bridge. Each time, she had to leave her goods at the market to look for him because she was worried that someone would beat him. After a few years, his father passed away. Nghia's mother also fell ill because of her father.

In 2018, knowing the situation, Nhat Le Border Guard Station (Border Guard of Quang Tri province) coordinated with the local Party Committee and government of Hai Thanh ward (old), now Dong Hoi ward, to adopt Pham Gia Nghia under the program "Adopted Child of Border Guard Station".

Thanks to the program, Nghia’s life has become less precarious. At the station, he is tutored by soldiers, taught every word, trained in discipline, and cared for in every meal and sleep.

In the morning, Nghia helps sell at the noodle shop. In the afternoon, Nghia helps his mother prepare goods in time for tomorrow's market.

From a boy lacking in every way, Nghia grew up in the love, protection and sharing of the soldiers. However, Nghia has now finished grade 12 and is 18 years old, according to the program's regulations, he is no longer eligible for adoption and support.

And then, tragedy repeated itself to this poor student. In the recent high school graduation exam, Nghia made constant efforts and passed the International Economics major at the University of Economics - Hue University. The joy was not complete, Nghia thought about tuition fees, accommodation fees and his mother.

“My mother is old and has diabetes, a herniated disc, and her legs are getting weaker day by day. Now that I go to school, where will I get the money? I have no choice but to drop out of school,” Nghia confided.

Living in Nhat Le Border Guard Station, Nghia always received protection and love.

On the day he received the admission notice, the little boy chose to remain silent instead of telling his mother. Seeing his sadness, Ms. Hoa asked him and learned the truth. “My heart ached when I heard that my son had passed the university entrance exam. I loved him and knew he wanted to go to school, but I didn’t know what to do. Selling vegetables at the market, on a busy day, I earned about 70,000 VND, while having to pay for medicine and take care of his elderly parents. Now, where will I get the money to send Nghia to university?” Ms. Hoa said while comforting her son.

Waiting for a miracle

In a small house covered with a few rickety corrugated iron sheets, Gia Nghia quietly sat in front of a pile of old books. Those pages were the motivation and the belief for him to overcome difficulties. In his distant eyes, Nghia was worried about his dream of going to university, which was gradually fading away because of his family's poverty.

What many people admire is his consistent academic performance. Despite living in poverty and going to class hungry many days, Nghia still achieved the title of excellent student for 12 consecutive years. When mentioning the little student, teachers at Dao Duy Tu High School (Dong Hoi Ward, Quang Tri Province) all have special feelings for him through compliments.

The happiness when Gia Nghia received the first gifts from the soldiers.

Nghia’s homeroom teacher shared: “Nghia is one of the good and strong-willed students. His circumstances are so difficult that I often worried he would drop out of school, but he still persevered until the end of the year. Not only is he a good student, Nghia is also emotional, always polite and humble.”

Friends also love Nghia because of his gentle and sincere personality. In class, he often takes the initiative to tutor weaker students. Outside of school hours, when his friends have the opportunity to attend extra classes, Nghia just borrows notebooks to study by himself. However, his results still make his peers admire him.

On the study table given by Nhat Le Border Guard Station, Gia Nghia explores new knowledge.

Speaking about Nghia, Lieutenant Colonel Cao Xuan Hoanh, Political Commissar of Nhat Le Border Guard Station, shared: “Since being adopted by the station, Nghia has been obedient, studious, and has a very admirable spirit of improvement. Despite his difficult family circumstances, lacking the love of his father and his sick mother, he has never complained or been discouraged. We all love Nghia like our own child, and are even more proud when he has achieved good academic results for many years in a row.”

Unfortunately, the harsh reality is gradually closing the door of the lecture hall before Nghia's eyes. Perhaps now, What the poor orphan student with the desire to change his life through writing needs most is a support. And who knows, from today's sympathy, we can continue to write the future for a studious young man, so that his dream does not have to die out at the age of 18.

Please send all condolences to Pham Gia Nghia's family to:

Permanent representative office of Education and Times Newspaper in North Central region.

Address: No. 2, Lane 5, Nguyen Bieu Street, Ha Tinh City, Ha Tinh Province.

Hotline: 0913.473.217

Account number: 686605377999 - Vietinbank Ha Tinh Branch.

Transfer content: MT50

Source: https://giaoducthoidai.vn/xot-xa-cau-hoc-tro-mo-coi-nhieu-lan-bat-luc-truoc-uoc-mo-den-sach-post747739.html