Girl with 'glass bones' inspires people with disabilities

Efforts to overcome fate

The person I want to mention here is Nguyen Thi Thu Thuong - Director of Thuong Thuong Handmade Trading and Production Joint Stock Company. With a height of only 80cm, a weight of less than 20kg, and a brittle bone disease that prevents her from walking on her own two feet and depends on a wheelchair, Nguyen Thi Thu Thuong is always cheerful, optimistic and supports people in similar situations to integrate into life.

Tourist from the Philippines (3rd from left) visits Thuong Thuong Handmade (Photo: Thuong Thuong Handmade)

Born in 1983 in the old Ha Tay (now Hanoi), Nguyen Thi Thu Thuong was not as lucky as many people, because she suffered from congenital brittle bone disease, she could not walk on her feet, nor could she sit up to do simple tasks, but had to lie in a wheelchair all day like a baby a few months old. But every time I met Nguyen Thi Thu Thuong, I saw her confident and full of energy, full of love for life.

I once witnessed this little girl singing in the middle of a hall of hundreds of spectators to the surprise of many people. Thuong once confided to me: I was not born with the luck to have a normal body like many other people, but Thuong always wanted to have a normal life like many other people, that is, to have a stable job so that I can work to support myself, to be able to support my parents when they are old and to support those who are less fortunate like me.

Foreign tourists visit Thuong Thuong Handmade when coming to Hanoi (Photo: Thuong Thuong Handmade)

With that in mind, in 2003, when she turned 20, Thuong decided to go to vocational school despite the objections of her parents and those around her, because they were worried and afraid that their daughter would have a hard time and not be healthy enough to study. Realizing that she was limited in many ways, Nguyen Thi Thu Thuong chose to study handicrafts.

Thanks to her determination, passion for her choice and her constant efforts, after only a short time of learning the craft, Thuong was able to make her first handmade products with her own diligence, her products were postcards, flower paintings, colorful countryside or street paintings. Then, with the effort to overcome her fate, this girl researched and found ways to sell the products she made to earn money to cover her living expenses and save up.

For disabled people who cannot move like Thuong, having a job to support themselves is already an unexpected success. But Nguyen Thi Thu Thuong does not think so, because her goal is not simply to take care of herself, but also to help those around her, those born in less fortunate circumstances like her. Because thinking from herself, Thuong knows and understands very well that disabled people are disadvantaged and lack confidence in themselves, especially, they become even more self-conscious when they do not have a job, have to depend on others to live, becoming a burden to others.

Products of Thuong Thuong Handmade (Photo: Thuong Thuong Handmade)

With that in mind, Thuong gathered some disabled friends, taught them a trade, and then hired them to work with her. Thuong hopes that one day she will realize her dream of establishing a company to teach trades to the disabled and the less fortunate in life and produce handicraft products to sell to tourists or organizations in need throughout Vietnam, helping the disabled have a stable life, and further, bringing the image of the country and people of Vietnam closer to friends around the world.

It was not until 10 years later that she nurtured her dream that in 2013, she was honored to be a guest at the event when Nick Vujicic (an Australian man with no legs or arms) came to Vietnam. Witnessing Nick Vujicic's successes, Nguyen Thi Thu Thuong became even more determined, urging herself to fulfill her dream and Thuong Thuong Handmade Trading and Production Joint Stock Company was born from that. She hopes that the company will be a "destination" for people with disabilities and those less fortunate in life to learn a trade to support themselves and find joy and meaningful things in life.

Inspire the less fortunate

After nearly 11 years of establishment (2013-2024), Thuong Thuong Handmade has trained more than 100 students, all of whom are disabled people from many places in Vietnam, sometimes people who are sick and need treatment, but they all have the same desire to have a stable job so as not to become a burden to their relatives, and even be able to support their families when needed.

Here, people with disabilities are not only trained in handicrafts, to make beautiful handmade products, but also shared their journey with Nguyen Thi Thu Thuong, and inspired them to rise up in life. After completing the course at the center, many people with disabilities have had stable jobs, can support themselves and are more confident in life.

Many students after finishing their studies have worked at Thuong Thuong Handmade (Photo: Thuong Thuong Handmade)

Some students, after finishing their studies, will stay and work for Thuong Thuong Handmade if they have a need. Thanks to that, the company has created regular jobs for nearly 20 workers, who are disabled and people with kidney disease who need dialysis. Although their health is not good, the average monthly income is still from 4-5 million VND per person, depending on working time and products made.

Thuong Thuong Handmade products made by disabled people are also sold at many famous tourist destinations and are purchased by many domestic and foreign organizations as gifts and souvenirs for their customers. Thuong Thuong Handmade products are increasingly diverse, not only postcards, paintings of flowers and landscapes of Hanoi, Vietnam but also other countries in the world, or products made to order to serve customers' private events.

Among Thuong Thuong's partners, there are many businesses, universities, and state agencies such as: Ton Hoa Sen; Hanoi Foreign Trade University; Hanoi University of Foreign Languages; Ministry of Planning and Investment... They come to Thuong Thuong not only because of their trust, but also because they admire the determined business director who knows how to overcome his fate to become a useful person for society.

In particular, many foreign tourists when coming to Hanoi, they came to Nguyen Thi Thu Thuong's establishment, the simple purpose is not to buy products as souvenirs, but to see with their own eyes the little girl who is always full of life's energy. They want to be transmitted positive energy from the girl with brittle bone disease named Nguyen Thi Thu Thuong.

Nguyen Thi Thu Thuong with the work made by Thuong Thuong Handmade (Photo: Thuong Thuong Handmade)

The efforts of the girl with brittle bones Nguyen Thi Thu Thuong have been recognized with certificates of merit and titles such as: The title of Silent Hero awarded by Microsoft Vietnam; Typical Young Face of the Capital in 2014; Certificate of Merit from the Minister of Labor - Invalids and Social Affairs for striving to achieve achievements in labor production; The title of Good Person, Good Deed awarded by the Hanoi People's Committee; In 2015, Nguyen Thi Thu Thuong received the "Women Vision Award" awarded by the Hanoi International Women's Club (HIWC) - a non-profit group with members who are foreign women currently living in Vietnam...

But for Nguyen Thi Thu Thuong, what makes her happiest after her efforts is not simply the certificates and titles, but rather the fact that she has inspired and supported many people with disabilities to have jobs and be able to support themselves. Nguyen Thi Thu Thuong shared: “My only dream right now is to have money to buy a house, to become a place of work and rest for people with disabilities when coming to Thuong Thuong Handmade. Because the house I am renting is cramped and cannot support many people, if there is a bigger, more spacious house, Thuong Thuong Handmade will have the opportunity to create jobs and support many more unfortunate people.”

Nguyen Thi Thu Thuong - Director of Thuong Thuong Handmade Trading and Production Joint Stock Company: "Through my work, I want to send everyone a message that: "People with disabilities do not just need to be fed 3 meals a day, they can do much more than that. As long as you have passion and try hard, you will succeed in everything you do."

Source: https://congthuong.vn/co-gai-xuong-thuy-tinh-truyen-cam-hung-cho-nguoi-khuet-tat-336440.html