SVVN - Overcoming a psychological crisis at the age of 15, Ngo Gia Huy courageously embarked on a fresh start and relentlessly strives to pursue his dream of becoming a psychologist for kids facing similar circumstances as himself.
"Where there's effort, there's success."
Ngo Gia Huy (born in 2003) was lying in a hammock when he was hit by a rock, causing him to lose his vision and suffer temporary coma-induced memory loss. This wasa huge shock for such a young student to deal with. Therefore, nearly a year after the accident, Gia Huy fell into depression, often isolating himself in his room and even contemplating suicide.
However, thanks to the encouragement from his family and friends, Gia Huy gradually had the courage to step out of the darkness, confront reality, and start a 'new life.'
"Once, my mom was sitting next to me giving me medicine, I heard her crying. I asked, 'Why are you crying, mom?’ She said, ‘I love you so much, but I don't know how to help you restore your eyesight.’ I realized that being constantly discouraged could not change my current situation and my future. It was at that moment that I begged my mom to let me get back to school," Huy recounted.
Ngo Gia Huy, a Psychology freshman at Van Hien University (Photo: NVCC)
Witnessing Huy's determination to start afresh, his mother set aside her worries and sent him to Blind Association in his area to learn Braille. After a year completing the Braille program there, Gia Huy was transfterred to the Nhat Hong Shelter in Thu Duc to consolidate 7th-grade knowledge.
At Nhat Hong shelter, Huy began learning everything from walking, eating, communicating, taking care of his personal hygiene to socializing with ordinary individuals.
Huy spent his adulthood without the warmth of light he had known as a child, and thus faced numerous difficulties, even to the point of giving up several times. It wasn't until he saw nuns at the shelter teaching young children how to ride bicycles, Huy completely changed his mind and was deeply inspired to move forward.
"Even before losing my sight, I was scared of falling off while riding a bike and thought. 'How can a blind person ride a bike?' I thought. Later, I realized that for people like me, seeing was the only obstacle; and with enough effort, we would overcome it, without fail. Whenever problems arise, I constantly remind myself of this as a motivation to keep moving," Gia Huy shared with us.
Dream of aiding visually impaired children
Because of experiencing the mental shock, Gia Huy understands the feelings of utter helplessness and hopeless when suddenly losing sight and having to start a new life. Hence, Gia Huy opted for Psychology to provide assistance to visually impaired adolescents to overcome psychological darkness.
Studying and living among people in the normal environment, Huy often felt like giving up due to overwhelming challenges. Yet, thinking about his future dream, he revived his spirits and continuously strived, as "giving up won't change anything."
Throughout many years in middle and high school, Ngo Gia Huy consistently achieved excellent academic performance, maintaining an average score above 8,0.
Ngo Gia Huy as a 'Red Sunday' blood donor at Van Hien University. (Photo: NVCC)
Ms. Pham Thi Hong Thai, a lecturer in the Psychology department, described Huy as an incredibly proactive student. Unlike the high school environment, university settings often employ teaching materials through videos and PowerPoint presentations, so Huy regularly reaches out to lecturers, and classmates for lecture notes and content that he couldn't access during class.
"Compared to other students, Huy puts in a lot more effort. He diligently takes note of the lesson while seeking out other classmates and teachers to help with the parts he missed for later self-study," mentioned Ms. Thai.
There was a time while crossing a rope bridge to get to VHU Binh Chanh campus, Ho Chi Minh City, Huy accidentally fell into the water. Although getting completly soaked, he continued to attend the class that day inside an air-conditioned classroom so as not to miss the lecture.
"Gia Huy is a kind, cheerful, optimistic person, especially in how he cares for everyone. Despite his visual impairment causing difficulties in attending classes, Huy warmly embraces these challenges in the most positive way," shared Nguyen Duong Que Thanh, a friend of Gia Huy.
The first-year student's dream is to return to the Nhat Hong Shelter, where he was given a second chance at life, to assist visually impaired children. However, his family faces financial difficulties—his father, a construction worker, lacks a stable income, while his mother, a homemaker, struggles to maintain funds for Huy's education. This situation leaves Huy constantly worried about his future.
Source: https://svvn.tienphong.vn/