A young Vietnamese woman has been able to help two fellow citizens, including one in a critical condition from injuries sustained catching a king cobra for money to pay for his children’s school fees, by raising large amounts of money via public calls on Facebook.

Nguyen Do Truc Phuong, 26, had studied in Australia for ten years before returning to Vietnam in 2019.

With a kind heart and sympathy toward people dealing with difficult issues, Phuong previously called for donations for Hai, a motorbike taxi driver who could not afford a smartphone to enter the ride-hail industry.

“I read about Hai’s circumstances on an online forum. I left a comment asking for permission to support him in purchasing a new motorbike by raising funds from donors,” Phuong said.

“At first, I only intended to raise VND10-15 million [US$430-645] to buy him a second-hand motorbike in good conditions, but the amount of money raised quickly topped VND40 million [$1,725] so I took him to buy a new motorcycle, a new cell phone, some clothes, food and spices — things I suspected he hadn’t had much money to spend on for ages,” Phuong said.

She posted regular public updates on all information related to the money raised to help Hai’s family.

Charity is in the young woman’s blood. Phuong said she and some of her friends often donate money for poor patients to pay for treatment and those who are faced with adversity.

“I got many messages about [Phan Van] Tam’s hospitalization with a king cobra still attached to his arm,” Phuong said, referring to the case of a 38-year-old man from the southern province of Tay Ninh who got bitten by a king cobra last week while catching it so he could sell it to afford his children’s tuition.

“Tam and his wife are both working as day laborers to bring up their two children. He broke his leg months ago so the family doesn’t have money to pay for their children’s school fees, which forced him to risk his life capturing the venomous snake for money,” she shared.

“I wrote a post on my Facebook to appeal for help as soon as I learned about his family’s story."

She was able to raise VND181 million ($7,800) for Tam within one day.

Phuong said she works as a manager for a hotel, which has closed down for repairs. Although free from her job, she admitted being even busier these days since taking on the charitable endeavors.

For two consecutive days, Phuong was in Cho Ray Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, where Tam is treated, for hours each day to be with Tam’s wife Bui Thi Ngoc Tuoi in order to catch up on the man’s condition and guide his wife through receiving the raised money.

A Tuoi Tre (Youth) correspondent met Phuong at Cho Ray Hospital last week when she was there to pay VND50 million ($2,155) in Tam’s hospital fees on the family’s behalf.

“Tuoi and I are really happy that Tam now seems better and can talk after undergoing dialysis. I am discussing with Tuoi ways to buy a new motorbike and two cows [with which they can earn better livelihoods] after his recovery,” Phuong said.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!