Viet sits in the garden of Nguyen Trai Secondary School during break time.

Viet, whose left leg is paralysed from the hip, has earned excellence awards for his grades every year since the age of six.

The 17-year-old, who was born in Vu Thu District in Thai Binh Province into a family of three kids, has just one more year to go before he applies for university.

So far his performance at Nguyen Trai Senior Secondary School in Vu Thu District puts him well ahead of the game. The teen won best student 2008-09 for his maths grades.

“I really want to get into the informatics faculty at Ha Noi Technology University,” he says.

“I want to be an engineer when I’m older, so I can support my parents, who are poor farmers, so they can live a better life. I’m physically disabled, but I have proved myself with the power of my mind.”

Touch and go

Viet’s mother Nguyen Thi Ngoc is unlikely to forget the night in 1992 when her second oldest son Viet fell ill when he was only one month old.

Viet fell into a coma and was rushed to hospital, where doctors discovered he had suffered a brain haemorrhage. Recovery cost him the use of his left leg.

Viet’s parents bought a three-wheeler to help him get around when he was a toddler. They used it to take him to school when he was six.

“We didn’t want to send him to school so early because of his disability, but Viet was insistent, especially when he saw his friends going there,” says Viet’s mother, Nguyen Thi Ngoc.

“I asked a teacher at the Bach Thuan Primary School. She said we should give it a try.”

Viet fell in love with his studies immediately and soon became a top student.

“It wasn’t so hard,” Viet says. “My three-wheeler took me to school and I used a crutch to help me move around the classrooms.”

First challenge

Viet’s first real challenge came when he finished primary school and had to get ready to start junior high. The school was too far away for his three-wheeler so he had to get a bicycle.

“My parents were too busy raising silkworms to push me to school so I decided to learn how to ride a bicycle,” Viet says.

“It’s hard for anyone when they learn to ride a bike for the first time, so imagine what it was like for me with one leg! I am still covered with scars from those early days,” he says.

Viet’s determination and the support from his parents eventually paid off. He finished five years at junior high and moved up to senior school. The teen is now in the 11th grade.

“My friends take 20 minutes to cycle to school, but it takes me an hour. When I can’t pedal up the slopes I have to hop on my good leg to push the bike.”

Fellow school mate, Nguyen Thi Thu Hien, who has studied with Viet since junior secondary school, says: “Viet is a great kid. He always tries his best to get good marks. Nothing stops him from coming to school, not even really bad weather. All the kids in our class are really proud of him because he’s so clever.”

Viet’s efforts also receive praise from his teacher at Nguyen Trai Secondary school, Vu Thi Ngoc Thuy.

“Viet is a good student. He has never taken a day off school. He’s always among the top in terms of grades. I really believe he will get into university,” she says.

Familial duty

Raising silkworms earns his family VND2 million each month, easing life’s hardship in the suburban district. But it’s very little when there are three children to support through school. Viet and his younger sister study, while their elder sister, who is an electronic worker away from home, adds a little to the family’s coffer.

The family’s hope lies in Viet.

“For me, life is good now, but I want to find odd jobs to make more money for my parents,” he says.

“I’ll do everything to live my dream and get a high-paying job. I’ll make a better life for me and my parents.”

VietNamNet/VNS