Orphaned by Pandemic, Siblings Find Hope at Hy Vong School

At Hy Vong School in Da Nang, Vietnam, three siblings are finding hope for the future after losing both parents to the pandemic and illness. Thanh Xuan (17), Thien Long (11), and Tien Dung (15) have found a sanctuary and a path forward at the boarding school. Their father died from COVID-19 in 2021 while working as a migrant laborer in Dong Nai province. He passed away from the virus with underlying kidney disease. In a final video call, he told his wife, "Please try to raise the children, I don't think I will make it." His wife, Nguyen Thi Anh, recalled receiving the news of his death about a week later. Due to pandemic lockdowns, the family could not see him one last time. At the time, Tien Dung was in 9th grade, Thanh Xuan in 7th grade, and Thien Long not yet in first grade. Facing the risk of the children having to drop out of school, Hy Vong School—a boarding educational facility for children orphaned by the COVID-19 pandemic—came to their rented room in An Luong commune, Gia Lai province, to pick up Dung and Xuan. The following year, the school accepted Thien Long. "The school not only feeds them but also instills discipline. I fear I cannot raise the children to be good people on my own," Anh said. Leaving her children with the school, Anh stayed in her hometown, working as a carpenter earning VND 170,000 per day and doing evening cleaning jobs. On days she worked two shifts, she wouldn't get home until 11 p.m. Exhausted, she would fall asleep as soon as she lay down, often skipping meals. She vowed to save money to help her children attend university. In the lead-up to Tet (Lunar New Year) in 2024, Anh suffered a stroke, leaving her completely paralyzed on her left side. Receiving the bad news while studying for her high school graduation exams, Tien Dung considered dropping out to return home and care for her mother. Thanh Xuan, only a few rooms away, texted their homeroom teacher: "Teacher, I don't know what to do, I have no money to take care of Mom." The fear of losing a parent resurfaced. Xuan dared not think about what would happen to the three siblings if their mother also passed away. Teachers immediately sought ways to support the children. Ms. Nguyen from the psychology department and Ms. Diem, the dorm supervisor, spent hours listening to Dung cry. The school's board of directors contacted the hospital to monitor their mother's health and sent financial assistance for medical expenses. Teachers frequently asked the children: "Have you eaten?" "Did you sleep well last night?" "Do you miss home?" "Are there any lessons you don't understand?" "If we were outside at that time, I don't know where we would be living," Tien Dung said. Beyond soothing their pain, the boarding environment has also trained the children in self-reliance and the resilience to face difficulties. Tien Dung fondly remembers a two-day, one-night survival training session at the foot of Hai Van Pass. In the rain, they had to cling to each other to navigate slippery rock faces and overcome forest challenges from dusk until 2 a.m. The reward for the winning team was eight hours of phone usage. Dung spent the first four hours calling her mother and saved the rest for the following week. Today, the lives of the three siblings have taken new turns. Tien Dung is among the first graduates and is now a second-year student in General Nursing at Phan Chau Trinh University. The image of her father dying in quarantine and her mother, frail and on a wheelchair, motivates her to wear a white coat. Thanh Xuan is working hard in her final year of high school with the goal of entering the Pedagogy program. Thien Long harbors a dream of becoming a police officer. Back home, Anh is diligently working on her physical rehabilitation and can now walk by holding onto walls. She stated that her greatest motivation is that her three children can continue their education. "Now, I hope to regain my health so my children don't have to be orphans again," she said.