Who else remembers the tragic accident of Cano sinking that killed 9 people in the waters of Can Gio, Ho Chi Minh City on the evening of August 2nd, 2013?

Among the 9 victims was a young man named Tran Huu Hiep, a native of Thanh Hoa. He was forever stopped at the age of 25 on the sea of ​​Can Gio on that fateful evening.

He gave  his life jacket to a pregnant woman and used all his youth to struggle with the fierce waves in the middle of a storm, and tried to push each person who was exhausted because of being hit by the waves so that they could cling to the floating Cano's body part until lose his strength and leave forever in the waves.

He gave his life as giving life jackets to pregnant woman and saved more than 4 people in that tragic accident. And when he lay down forever in the cold water, he saved me, someone who was not present in that accident, someone who had never met him when he was alive.

On August 2nd, 2013, a 30-year-old woman who used to be very active, cheerful, and talented lay on the ambulance and entered  115 hospital in a state of lethargy, no longer able to feel her body parts. After many hours of scanning and emergency, the woman woke up and knew that she had become a completely paralyzed person with hemiplegia due to cerebral infarction sequelae. From a healthy, active person who was considered by many to be talented and beautiful, suddenly became a disabled person, that woman had a mental breakdown and was secretly preparing to end her life.

Then accidentally the patient on the upper bed dropped the newspaper on her bed, the disabled woman who was about to commit suicide burst into tears when she accidentally read the article about that Cano sinking accident and about the heroic death by young man Tran Huu Hiep. Crying because she really admire him and also because she realized how small and weak she is in front of a young hero - who lived peacefully, died heroically to give his life to others.

Hiep, you know, that disabled woman is me- now is your sister. On that day, if I didn't know about you, about your heroic death, I would have secretly sought death just because I was a disabled person. Hiep, you not only did  save your friends and colleagues in that accident, but you also saved a stranger who you had never met.

Because of my admiration for a hero, after being discharged from the hospital, I tried to endure all the pain in the physical therapy room every day to be able to walk again with the desire to become a disabled person living a useful life  for my family, for society and maybe once to go to your hometown, to visit your parents, burn incense for you and visit your grave.

And finally I was able to do it, I was able to walk even though I  was weak and slow, although my left hand still couldn't recover. Although  later I divorced and left with empty hands - no home, no son. But because I always think of you and your heroic death, I still live strong and work hard. I tried everything to find the reporter who wrote the article about you to ask for a way to contact your family.

In the heaven, did you know that I became your parents' daughter and your sister. Our Parents were very happy when they first saw me visit our home, light incense for you and visit your grave. Our parents cried a lot because of joy and happiness when they performed an ancestor worshiping ceremony to accept me as their adopted daughter, who is your sister. I hope that there you are also happy because there is an older sister that you have never met.

My younger brother, I haven't come back home to Thanh Hoa for a long time to visit our parents, to visit your grave. I always look forward to visiting our family and visiting you again. Your brother-in-law, a gentle and kind Belgian man, he stretched out his hand to pull me up from the abyss of life and took me to Thanh Hoa to visit our family and you. Brother-in-law was very touched, very happy when me became the children of our parents and siblings of you. And your brother-in-law also helped me get my son back, I told my son the story about me and you, and he always called you are youngest Uncle. He wishes to go to Thanh Hoa to visit his grandparents, burn incense and visit youngest Uncle  grave.

Right now, my whole family of 3 are in a foreign country and can't return to Vietnam because of the Corona epidemic, when the epidemic gets better, I will take your brother-in-law and nephew home to visit our parents and you!

Hiep, my brother, I hope you are always happy and peaceful there. Love you!

                                                                                                                                                Your sister is from far away

Written from Belgium- August 9, 2021