For four years, Nguyen Tat Minh’s father accompanied him every day as he pursued his university degree in Hanoi. Outside of class hours, Minh’s father took on jobs like security at a coffee shop and water maintenance at the university dormitory to support their life away from home.

Nguyen Tat Minh, from Trieu Son, Thanh Hoa, first became known for his extraordinary friendship with Ngo Van Hieu in the viral story “Ten years being carried to school by a friend.” Born with a disability that left his legs and one arm severely underdeveloped, Minh was unable to walk. Hieu, seeing his friend’s struggles, carried him to school for an entire decade.

After high school graduation, Minh was admitted to the Computer Science program at Hanoi University of Science and Technology, while Hieu enrolled at Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy. From then on, the close friends had to live apart.

Without his best friend by his side, Minh quickly had to adapt and overcome challenges on his own. At university, he was assigned a dorm room with Quân, another student living with osteogenesis imperfecta who had been accompanied to school by his parents for 12 years. The two students and their fathers shared a 25-square-meter room, living and caring for each other like a family.

Upon learning of Minh’s condition, the university and a corporate sponsor gifted him an electric wheelchair. To accommodate his needs, his dorm room was placed on the ground floor with a custom-designed ramp for easier access.

Minh’s father, Nguyen Tat May, played a constant and invaluable role in his son’s journey. He left his job in their hometown to move to Hanoi and take care of Minh. Initially, Mr. May worked as the dormitory’s water pump operator. Later, he became a security guard at a nearby coffee shop for additional income while remaining close enough to support Minh.

“Years ago, my dad had a serious accident working in a stone quarry and broke his leg, so his health declined. These jobs suited his condition better and allowed him to avoid relying on my mother’s modest salary at the shoe factory,” Minh explained.

On days when his father couldn’t take him to class, Minh navigated campus independently in his electric wheelchair. If the lecture was on an upper floor, classmates would carry him up. Sometimes, friends came to his dorm just to escort him to school. Thanks to their help, Minh never missed a single class.

Still, Minh admitted the early days of university were challenging. The environment was vastly different from high school. With a broader curriculum and increased emphasis on self-study, Minh initially struggled. His first-semester grades weren’t great, but he eventually developed better study habits - dividing the material into smaller parts, solving more exercises, and finding practice tests online. Studying in groups at the library also helped him raise his grades.

“I was surrounded by many smart friends. They motivated me to try harder each day,” Minh shared.

With most of his specialized courses requiring intensive computer use, Minh initially found typing slow and difficult since he could only use one hand. He trained himself to type more efficiently using his functioning hand, occasionally using his other hand for support.

After four years, Minh graduated with honors. His only regret was not being able to participate in student clubs or social activities due to limited mobility. However, that also gave him more time for self-study and technical growth.

A representative from the Student Affairs Office at Hanoi University of Science and Technology said Minh’s graduation was a testament to how “determination can overcome all limitations.”

Following graduation, Minh returned to his hometown and hopes to find a job in his field in Thanh Hoa. Aware that the IT industry evolves rapidly, he emphasized the need for continuous learning to stay updated. Minh also plans to study AI to improve his career prospects.

Thuy Nga