In Vietnam, Huynh Tieu Huong, known as the “Mother Teresa of Vietnam,” has adopted 346 children after overcoming a challenging childhood as a foundling abandoned by her parents.
She runs a non-profit organization that provides love, education, and medical care to orphans and homeless children. Huong’s early life was marked by hardship; after being rescued from abusive adoptive parents, she wandered until she found a baby girl on her doorstep at age 19.
While she travailed to make a living for herself and new found baby, the Universe kept rooting for her, leading her to meet a benefactor who helped her establish a stable life. In 1993, she began volunteering with the Vietnam Relief Association and founded the Que Huong Charity Center in 2001, which has since grown to support over 300 children. Thanks to support given by donors and volunteers, these 346 children are all able to receive education, safe places to sleep and play, and the proper medical care to ensure they reach adulthood healthy.
Despite her difficult past, Huong dedicated herself to helping others, expanding her efforts to the U.S. through the Mother Huong Foundation. Her story portrays resilience and compassion, as she continues to make real undeniable impact in the lives of countless children in need.
After surmounting the cruelest hardships in post-war Vietnam, everyone on Earth would understand if Ms. Huong had instead used her success to build a life of luxury, indulgence, and security. Instead, she dove headlong back into the world that made her, making a difference to others in a way that never was possible for her.
Regardless of what we go through, or have probably been through, may we continue to look at others with a deep sense of compassion. For in this lies true happiness and fulfillment. Let’s keep T.A.L.K.ing.