From Abandoned Boy at the Foot of a Bridge to Student Ambassador

TP - A child with a cleft lip and cleft palate who was abandoned at the foot of a bridge when he was still a newborn, Le Van Loc became a new university student thanks to the love and care of the nuns at the orphanage.

TP - A child with a cleft lip and cleft palate who was abandoned at the foot of a bridge when he was still a newborn, Le Van Loc became a new university student thanks to the love and care of the nuns at the orphanage.

Self-consciousness due to circumstances

“I stood in a corner of the schoolyard watching my friends being taken to school by their parents. I felt really lonely and sad. Gradually, I didn’t dare to interact with anyone. I was afraid of people’s looks and their criticism,” Le Van Loc (a freshman at Hong Bang International University) recounted about his period of inferiority complex during high school.

The feeling of being lost and lonely comes from this boy's special circumstances. 18 years ago, Loc was abandoned by his parents at the foot of Ba Ta Bridge (Son Tinh District, Quang Ngai Province). A couple of bricklayers accidentally passed by and discovered him when they heard a baby crying. The boy was taken to Phu Hoa Orphanage (Tinh An Tay Commune, Quang Ngai City, Quang Ngai Province). Here, the boy lived in the love and care of the nuns and was given the name Le Van Loc by the nuns.

On the day the high school class took their yearbook photo, Le Van Loc invited Sister Nguyen Thi Kim Ha to school to take a photo together.

Talking about his childhood, Loc said he was shy due to his lack of confidence in his appearance and circumstances. The important turning point came when he was in 11th grade, when he met teacher Phan Thi Kim Chi (teacher at Huynh Thuc Khang High School). “She advised me not to care about other people's eyes, to overcome my fear to develop myself. From then on, I felt more confident, had more motivation to study and progress. That was the most important turning point in my life,” Loc said.

Being intelligent, hard-working and diligent, Loc achieved many academic achievements, such as the second prize in History at the provincial level. Loc also passed the entrance exam to the Public Relations major at Hong Bang International University. Having never been far away, now having to leave the nuns' arms to study in Ho Chi Minh City, Loc said that at first he was very lonely because he missed home. The university environment with different learning methods and friends from all regions also overwhelmed him.

“After a period of time in Ho Chi Minh City, I have gradually adapted and caught up with the vibrant life here. I am currently the class secretary, class vice president and student ambassador of the school. Extracurricular activities help me improve my communication skills and ability to interact with crowds. I am much more open and active than before,” Loc said with a smile.

Not alone

Recalling the first time she saw Loc, Sister Nguyen Thi Kim Ha (Phu Hoa Orphanage) said that everyone at the orphanage was worried when they had another newborn baby. Because of the cleft palate defect, every time Loc was fed milk, her heart skipped a beat. The milk did not go all the way into Loc's mouth but kept flowing up his nose, so the nuns had to be very patient and skillful to finish one feeding. Before he was even a year old, Loc had to undergo surgery to close the cleft palate. After that, he had to undergo two other plastic surgeries. The defect gradually disappeared, but the large scars remained.

According to Sister Ha, Loc was a very good child and a very good student. In his free time, he often went to the kitchen to help the nuns cook rice, prepare food for the children, and help the nuns take care of children in the same situation. During his time in high school, Loc had to go through a period of internal struggle because his friends teased him and called him a monster. Every time Loc was sad, the nuns had to be there to comfort him.

“When we heard that you passed the university entrance exam, all the nuns here were happy. We hope that you will be steadfast on your dream path. We will always follow you, accompany you, and not leave you alone. The nuns will mobilize benefactors to help with your tuition fees, so you can rest assured,” said Sister Ha.

Home to hundreds of abandoned children

Nestled in the middle of a peaceful countryside, for nearly 50 years Phu Hoa Orphanage has been known as a home for hundreds of orphaned, disabled, and abandoned children. These homeless children were brought here, cared for, and raised in the love of the nuns. Currently, Phu Hoa Orphanage is raising 34 abandoned children. Among them, the youngest is less than 1 year old, the oldest is already in college. All are obedient, polite, and extremely affectionate when strangers come to visit.

For so many years, through many generations of nuns in charge, the nuns here have always been devoted mothers, taking care of the children's every meal and sleep. They are willing to put aside their own desires for happiness to together nurture the smiles of the unfortunate children... Nearly half a century has passed, one by one the children at the orphanage have grown up and found their own happiness. Then there are other orphans coming to the orphanage, coming to the nuns, as if by fate.

Nguyen Ngoc - Anh Nhan

Source: https://tienphong.vn/tu-cau-be-bi-bo-roi-o-chan-cau-den-dai-su-sinh-vien-post1702447.tpo