Nguyen Hong Cong.

“When I realise that I’m alive, I smile,” she writes in her 400-page autobiography, released in 2007 to widespread acclaim.

The 29-year-old, who suffers from a serious kidney ailment, says she hopes her first book, Khat Vong Song De Yeu (Craving to Live and Love), will spark a chord in her young readers, leading them to rethink their views on life, love and people.

In a talk last week in Ha Noi, organised by her book’s publisher People’s Public Security, Cong said she hoped her fans would lead useful lives because “their life is priceless”.

One of Cong’s readers, Hoang Minh Quan, 18 says Cong’s book taught him how to be more open with people.

“I wanted to meet and speak with Cong, who tells stories that engage our minds and make reading educational,” he says.

In her books, Cong tells of her decade-long difficulty in overcoming kidney failure. Her respect and love for her parents, friends, teachers and doctors are evident.

Born to a poor family in the northern province of Bac Giang, Cong had to drop out of school when she was 17 because local doctors said her kidney was in the final stages of failure.

While her friends were enjoying school and having fun, Cong faced the harsh truth that she could die at any time.

In 1997, for treatment, Cong left home to live alone in a small alley near the Bach Mai Hospital in Ha Noi. Three times every week, the weak girl visited the hospital at a cost of more than VND5 million (US$ 280) a month, not including living expenses.

To keep her alive, Cong’s parents worked harder than ever and spent a great deal of money. To help her parents, Cong held several jobs but had to quit because of her poor health.

“I couldn’t believe my unfortunate destiny. I was too young to die. But my life is real,” Cong writes in her book. She says it was her optimistic attitude that helped her fight death.

For Cong, writing is a way to increase her energy. Through her work, she has also left a precious legacy: the story of her experiences, which have inspired others to live, love and believe in a better future.

VietNamNet/VNS