“A mother's wish”: Spreading love, sowing seeds of hope
Tears streamed down the faces of both those giving and receiving support. In that emotional moment, distance and adversity seemed to fade away as the television reality show “A Mother's Wish” brought together compassionate hearts across Lam Dong.
A source of support for families in hardship
More than 2,000 spectators attended the program, not simply to watch, but to hear stories of hardship, share compassion and help keep the spirit of solidarity alive. Contributions came in many forms, from a child donating VND 200,000 and audience members giving several million dong to benefactors making direct donations worth hundreds of millions of dong on stage.
The program in Phan Thiet received nearly VND 1.9 billion in donations, demonstrating the strong spirit of compassion within the community. Earlier, the program, in cooperation with the Lam Dong Association for Support of the Poor, People with Disabilities and Protection of Children's Rights, was held at Lam Vien Square in Da Lat and raised more than VND 700 million despite persistent rain throughout the evening.
Beyond immediate financial assistance, “A Mother's Wish” is also helping create longer-term opportunities for people facing particularly difficult circumstances. Several sponsors have pledged annual scholarships to help children complete high school, cover the full cost of four years of university, or provide 100% funding for surgery and medical treatment as prescribed by hospitals.
The program has directly supported and helped ease the burdens of families facing severe hardship, including the family of Nguyen Van Cuong in Lang Biang - Da Lat Ward. Cuong is the family's main breadwinner, caring for his wife, who suffered a severe stroke, and their two young children while struggling to make ends meet.
Vo Tran Nhu Y, 7, from Phu Thuy Ward, lost her mother at an early age after her father left the family. She is now being raised by her elderly maternal grandparents and suffers from severe congenital heart disease requiring costly surgery.
Nguyen Van Luc, Chairman of the Lam Dong Association for Support of the Poor, People with Disabilities and Protection of Children's Rights, affirmed that the association would cover 100% of the cost of Nhu Y's heart surgery, regardless of the amount required.
Immediately after the program ended, Nhu Y was taken to Tam Duc Heart Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City for examination and preparations for surgery.
Nguyen Thi Hong and her son, Nguyen Hoang Anh Tuan, from Tien Thanh Ward, are also facing multiple hardships. Hong suffers from severe ischemic heart disease, while her husband and father have both passed away. Despite being a high-achieving student, Anh Tuan works at night to help support his family.
Another moving story is that of Nguyen Thi Thao and her grandson, Nguyen Thanh Bao, also from Tien Thanh Ward. Thao works tirelessly to care for her son, who has an intellectual disability, and her orphaned grandson. Despite their financial difficulties, Thanh Bao has been an outstanding student for eight consecutive years and dreams of becoming a lawyer.
A humanitarian journey that continues
The program's success reflects the dedication of Ho Chi Minh City Television, together with producers, artists, hosts, businesspeople and members of the Lam Dong Association for Support of the Poor, People with Disabilities and Protection of Children's Rights in Da Lat and Phan Thiet.
As many people who witnessed the event in Phan Thiet shared on social media, some programs end when the cameras stop rolling. But the emotional impact and humanitarian values left by “A Mother's Wish” continue to resonate within the community.
According to Nguyen Van Luc, the program will continue to be implemented in Lam Dong to support more women and families facing hardship. The association is calling on its local chapters and the wider community to continue identifying and connecting genuinely disadvantaged families so that organizers can assess their circumstances and consider them for future seasons of the program.