Vietnamese student who went blind due to Agent Orange gets into 6 universities

Do Nam Khanh, 18, from the central province of Ha Tinh, was classified as a student with a severe disability and exempted from the 2024 high school graduation exams in June.

But his academic results during high school were great enough to win him tickets into six universities: the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Vietnam National University, Hanoi), Hanoi University of Education, the University of Technology in HCMC (Hutech), FPT University, Hoa Sen University, and Duy Tan University.

Do Nam Khanh at his home in the central province of Ha Tinh. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Hung

Upon receiving the acceptance letters, Khanh was so happy he cried. “I hugged my mother and grandmother, and said ‘I did it’,” Khanh recalled.

He now hopes his efforts will inspire others, especially those in similar situations.

Khanh and his mother, Nguyen Thi Thanh Tinh, 39, live with his grandparents in a small house in Nam Ha Ward in Ha Tinh City, the capital of the eponymous province.

Tinh said that when Khanh was born, her husband left after learning that their son had a visual impairment, inherited from her.

Khanh was diagnosed with congenital cataracts, a condition caused by the effects of Agent Orange to third-generation victims.

Vietnamese and international researches show that Agent Orange/dioxin, sprayed by the U.S. during the Vietnam War as a defoliant, can cause extensive harm to the human body, and its impact can be transmitted across generations. In Vietnam, its effects have been seen up to the fourth generation.

Estimates suggest that there are over 75,000 second-generation victims, more than 35,000 third-generation victims, and over 2,000 fourth-generation victims in the country.

With the main income from a breakfast food stall in front of their house, Tinh said she had to work hard to take care of her son.

When it was time for Khanh to start going to school, he must always wear thick glasses and a small rechargeable lamp to see the letters clearly during classes. At that time, Khanh could still see objects at a close distance.

At the age of 13, his condition worsened, and he completely lost his vision. The family took Khanh to several hospitals for surgery and treatment, but to no avail. He then switched to learning braille, and practiced using phones, computers, and assistive tools to make his studying easier.

The boy said he was shocked when he lost his vision entirely and saw only darkness. Gradually, he started to feel inferior and pity for himself.

In the early days of learning braille, the tips of his fingers would always be in pain, and Khanh often sat alone in a corner, crying. He recalled that braille has many characters and is very difficult to memorize, requesting him to spend around four hours each day familiarizing himself with it.

He also brought it to class and received support from teachers and classmates to study with it.

After a few months, he grasped the system of symbols and the rules for reading and writing Vietnamese braille at a basic level.

“There were times when I felt discouraged and wanted to give up because it was too difficult. But then I remembered why I started. My mother and grandmother have worked hard to raise me, so I must not disappoint them,” Khanh said.

“I try to think positively and improve myself in the best way possible.”

In class, Khanh focused on listening to the lectures, trying to remember all the basic knowledge that the teachers conveyed.

When feeling stressed, Khanh listened to music and podcasts and read books in various ways. He was also active in participating in school extracurricular activities.

Do Nam Khanh sings on stage during an event at Phan Dinh Phung High School in Ha Tinh in 2023. Photo courtesy of Khanh

During his three years at Phan Dinh Phung High School, Khanh consistently achieved excellent academic performance, with an average score of 9.3/10 in 12th grade.

Additionally, Khanh won awards at several competitions organized by the Vietnamese Blind Association. In 2023, he was one of 10 students commended by the Provincial Youth Union and the province’s Department of Education and Training for overcoming difficulties.

He was also the youngest among the 21 outstanding individuals awarded a certificate of merit by the Chairman of the Provincial People’s Committee.

In addition to academic knowledge, Khanh has been learning to play musical instruments, majoring in Piano-Organ at the intermediate level at Nguyen Du College for the past two years. At the end of last year, he graduated with honors.

Do Nam Khanh (L) is with his mother, Nguyen Thi Thanh Tinh. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Hung

Nguyen Thi Kim Bong, Khanh’s homeroom teacher at Phan Dinh Phung High School, praised the student for his determination and high sense of responsibility.

“Khanh’s achievements have motivated and inspired his peers,” she said.

For the path ahead, he plans to study social work at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities. Khanh said he practices pronunciations of hosts on stage to improve his speaking skills.

“Try not to become a person of success, but rather try to become a person of value,” Khanh said, quoting Albert Einstein.

He said he uses it as a guiding principle for everything he does and much more now as he prepares to start a new chapter in his life.