Abandoned before birth, American boy determined to go to Vietnam to find his father

(Dan Tri) - After a trip to Vietnam, Robert suddenly realized a strange familiarity with the S-shaped land. When he returned to the US, he told his mother and received information about his special birth.

"I not only find my father but also help lost children return to their families", the saying in a video posted on social networks by an American man - Robert (33 years old) quickly attracted interest. During his time in Vietnam, this young man continuously searched for his father who abandoned him 30 years ago, and at the same time, participated in supporting families in need of finding relatives. This noble act has attracted millions of views on his Tik-tok account.

ill-fated love

In 1993, while studying Buddhism in Vietnam, Ms. Allison Stewart Beverly (Robert's mother) met Mr. Nguyen. After a period of getting to know each other, the two decided to move in together in a house in Ho Chi Minh City. Half a year later, Ms. Allison was happy to know that she was pregnant with her first child. However, in return for the happiness, Mr. Nguyen was afraid and apologized to her because he was not really ready to become a father. The emotional wound was so great that Ms. Allison left Vietnam and gave birth to her son alone in Virginia (USA). More than a year later, love knocked on Ms. Allison's door again, at that time, an American man accepted her past and loved her son Robert as his own son. The two quickly got married, and at the same time decided to hide the story of "origin" to help the child grow up in the most natural way.

Robert and Mrs. Allison plan to visit Vietnam again in 2024 (Photo: NVCC).

Growing up in an American family, there was something that Robert always wanted to connect with Asia throughout his childhood. When he was in elementary school, when teachers showed historical and cultural films to students, Robert kept thinking about Vietnam, a place with hardworking people in the rice fields, friendly to even their enemies during the war. In the summer of 2019, Robert decided to travel to Vietnam for the first time. He spent a long time exploring Hanoi and enjoying the typical Northern dishes. "I'm going to have a big trip to India and Vietnam in 2022," Robert told Mrs. Allison after returning home.

Robert decided to go to Vietnam to find his father from an old photo (Photo: NVCC).

After hearing this, Mrs. Allison was extremely surprised. Finally, she and her husband decided to tell their son about his origins, and sent Robert a black and white photo of Mr. Nguyen taken in 1980. The truth came so suddenly that Robert could not believe his eyes. He immediately drove to the Virginia DNA Analysis Center to do the test, and the results showed that he had 40% Asian genes. In July 2022, Robert traveled to Vietnam to find the father he had never met. He chose to live in Ho Chi Minh City, where his parents first met, hoping that one day he would accidentally see Mr. Nguyen. "Although my mother has no information other than an old photo, I believe that fate will help us reunite if I return to Vietnam," Robert said.

Special forgiveness from an American guy

At first, Robert traveled all over Vietnam and asked people for information through the photo. There were times when the hardship made him want to give up looking for his father. However, the thought that life was too short to miss the opportunity to understand his roots made him continue. Realizing that many Vietnamese people use social media, in October 2023, he asked a young girl to post a video in Vietnamese with the hope of finding her 60-year-old father. This story quickly received more than 1 million views on the Tik-Tok platform. At the end of October, an account claiming to be the son of the man in the black and white photo proactively texted Robert. The next day, the family asked Robert to go to a coffee shop in Thu Duc City. They also brought a bouquet of roses as an apology to the American boy they did not know.

After many years, Mr. Nguyen has a new family, he works as a delivery man and lives a peaceful life in Ho Chi Minh City. Receiving back his abandoned son, he kept apologizing. That made Robert cry. After that, Mrs. Allison and Robert asked Mr. Nguyen to do a DNA test, but the man hesitated because he did not believe in those numbers. After many questions, the man finally shared that he wanted to comfort Robert and show him the warmth of a Vietnamese family, so he lied to him. Although he was not his biological father, Robert still chose to forgive and often visited the man's family. "That day was still a happy day because I felt like I met my father again. And now I continue this journey because I know that my father is still somewhere out there," Robert shared.

Currently, Robert spends a lot of time teaching yoga, meditation and traveling in Vietnam (Photo: NVCC).

Wish to stay with Vietnam for life

Now, Robert has lived in Vietnam for 18 months. It is the culture and people of this country that make him love it more and heal the wounds of the past. "Vietnam is the happiest and most wonderful country in the world! I feel lucky to be a child of this country, to be respected and cared for. The first time I went to Da Nang, a friend took me to meditate and gave me a piano. I am also very grateful that wherever I go, I am invited to family meals as if I were their relative," Robert said.

The young man wants to stay in Vietnam because of the happiness this country brings (Photo: NVCC).

Robert still meets Mr. Nguyen's family regularly. He even changed his name to Vinh Hung because he really likes people calling him by this pure Vietnamese name. In addition, Robert also uses the Tik-tok channel to inspire people about the good life in Vietnam, helping families like him who are in exile to connect with each other. "In the near future, I will still be in Vietnam because this place is more like home to me than America. My mother fully supports that decision. I hope to be able to write music, play the piano and form a band in Vietnam. Especially, one day I will also find my other half in this beautiful country," Robert laughed.

Dantri.com.vn

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