For 12-year-old Thuy Duong, a good day includes coloring, dancing along with the TV, and doing something all by herself.
Ms. Huong, Duong’s mother, knows how much has gone into each of those moments.
Thuy Duong loves wearing her favorite pretty dress and dancing along to the music on TV, enjoying every little moment.
Twelve years ago, she was told that Duong might never be able to sit or stand. Today, her daughter walks, goes to school, and gets herself ready in the morning. She brushes her teeth, eats breakfast, and changes her clothes before waiting for her mother to take her to school.
“I don’t have to remind her anymore. She’s more independent now,” her mother shares.
Getting here has taken years of care. When Duong could not enroll in a mainstream primary school, her mother searched for a school that could welcome her. She tried balancing work with the long school journeys, but eventually left her job to care for Duong and manage the daily trips.
After school each day, Thuy Duong spends a little time practicing her handwriting, one letter at a time.
Children of Vietnam’s financial assistance have helped ease some of the family’s worries. Through parenting workshops, her mother has also learned practical ways to help Duong do more for herself. At home, they practice everyday tasks, including clearing dishes after meals and sweeping the floor. The learning continues between workshops, with a handbook her mother can turn to whenever she needs guidance.
“If there’s something I want to teach her and I’m not sure how, I take out the handbook and read it,” she explains.
For Duong, each new skill means another thing she can do herself. For her mother, it also brings a little reassurance about the future. COV’s recreational outings have given her mother opportunities to relax and ease some of the stress of caregiving. Her well-being matters, too, alongside the care she gives her daughter every day.
And Duong has interests of her own to explore. She loves coloring and dancing, and her mother hopes to find places where she can learn more of both. Growing up means having opportunities to enjoy her talents as well as build everyday skills.
Thuy Duong with her mother, Huong, and her younger brother.
Looking ahead, Ms. Huong's wishes are simple and deeply practical. “I just hope she stays healthy and learns to take care of herself. If I’m ill and have to stay in the hospital for a few days, I want her to be able to eat and look after herself.”
That hope lives in the things they practice together each day: getting dressed, clearing a bowl, trying again. There is room for joy along the way, too. Music on the TV. A page to fill with color. Something Duong can do all by herself.
A good day.
