Quoc Tuan and his 20-year journey to find a normal life for his son

"When I saw my child, I felt like I fell from the sky."

Actor Quoc Tuan’s son, Bom, unfortunately suffered from localized early osteomalacia and narrowed airways right after birth. The disease causes fingers and toes to fuse together and the skull to close prematurely, so the patient had to undergo multiple surgeries to separate the fingers and toes and loosen the skull…

When their son was born, Quoc Tuan and his wife were in a sea of despair. The pain tore their hearts apart when they saw their little son suffering disadvantages compared to other children.

Actor Quoc Tuan's journey of more than 20 years accompanying his son has inspired millions of people.

Recalling the moment he first met his child, Quoc Tuan once shared: "My wife had to have a cesarean section, and I was lucky to be given special permission by the doctor to enter the delivery room. As eager as I was to hold my child, when I saw him, I felt as if he had fallen from the sky, stunned because he had many defects on his face.

I stood there for 30 minutes, stunned. That night I stayed awake, hoping it was just a nightmare. Unable to bear it, I went back to the hospital near dawn. I had already determined to accept and fight my fate, but every time I saw my child, I couldn't help myself. At that time, my child had to lie in a glass cage. What was surprising was that when I put my hand in the small compartment to touch my child's hand, I saw him holding my hand tightly, sobbing. This made me believe that Bom was a normal person and could be treated.

Because Bom's airway is very narrow, he can't breathe when he sleeps, so many nights my husband and I have taken turns staying up to hold him to sleep. Bom is 7 years old, and for 7 consecutive years, my husband and I have only slept 2-3 hours each night. We don't dare go far from Hanoi for a day because he can't be without his father, and my family almost has permanent residence at the National Children's Hospital," Quoc Tuan shared in the program 7th Wish.

After the initial shock, Quoc Tuan told himself that he would do everything, even sacrifice his own life, so that his son could have a life like other children in the world. Instead of giving up, Quoc Tuan was determined to devote all his love and patience to accompany his son on this challenging journey.

The actor decided to put his career on hold to devote all his mind and energy to his son. He and his wife took their son everywhere for treatment. Every time he paid Bom's hospital bill, he had to spend tens of thousands of dollars. There was even a time when Quoc Tuan had to sell his house to pay for his son's hospital bill. However, to Quoc Tuan, this amount of money was nothing if Bom was healthy again.

The journey to cure Bom's illness was difficult, but actor Quoc Tuan's journey to help his son become confident and develop like a normal boy made the public admire him even more.

Step by step, step by step, he guides Bom from the simplest things like eating, personal hygiene to studying and integrating with the world around him. All of his own schedules depend on his child's, but seeing Bom grow up every day, he feels satisfied and happy.

During more than 20 years of accompanying his child, there were times when he almost collapsed, but with the love of a father, Quoc Tuan told himself: " If I fall, my child will die. I shake my head to see my feet touching the ground, then I hold my child and walk" with a strong belief that baby Bom will be okay.

His father's boundless love and faith are a great source of motivation that helps Bom progress every day. Despite having to undergo dozens of difficult and painful surgeries, Bom is always optimistic and strangely resilient.

"Children are the love of their parents and all children deserve to have a normal, happy and healthy life. Honestly, I always feel guilty towards my child. But talking about extraordinary things, it should be Bom, not me.

After more than 10 major surgeries, physical pain, sometimes having to wear an iron frame with sharp screws inserted straight into the skull, just a bump can cause the skull to break. Yet Bom overcame and defeated the disease. So why can't we, as parents, try to help our children, right?" , the actor said in an interview in 2018.

Seeing Bom grow up every day, he feels satisfied and happy.

After many years of treatment for Apert syndrome, Bom's health has stabilized. Actor Quoc Tuan plans to have his son's jaw adjusted this year so he can speak better. Previously, the actor shared that his biggest dream was for Bom to have plastic surgery, get dentures, and have his fingers reshaped. Bom himself also looks forward to the day when he can be more "perfect".

Recently, as his son's health improved, Quoc Tuan gradually returned to acting. He recently returned to the big screen after 18 years of absence with a supporting role in the movie The Last Wife. Previously, in 2021, Quoc Tuan participated in the play Unequal War.

Quoc Tuan's son shows talent and passion for piano

Not only that, during the journey of more than 20 years accompanying his son, Quoc Tuan also nurtured his son's love of music . Bom showed his talent for the piano. He spent a lot of time on his passion, every day Bom practiced playing the piano at least 8-10 hours/day. When he focused on playing the piano, he didn't notice the sweat soaking his back. Seeing his son like that, Quoc Tuan was very happy.

In October 2017, Bom received a 2-year scholarship from the Board of Directors of the Vietnam National Academy of Music for being in the top 5 of the school's entrance exam, Piano Jazz department.

Since studying in a professional environment, Quoc Tuan praised his son for being mature, knowledgeable, clear-minded, and flexible. He speaks more clearly and fluently than before. Quoc Tuan always takes advantage of every minute and hour to be with his son. As someone who understands music, he accompanies his son in practicing. When Bom plays off-key, off-key, or wrong notes, he immediately notices and corrects them for his son.

Bom shows musical talent. — Bom shows musical talent

"Bom used to have many fingers stuck together, so his movements are not as flexible as his friends, so playing the guitar requires more strength. If he practices for too long, his health will be affected," said Quoc Tuan.

When his son first entered the Conservatory, the actor was worried that Bom would not be able to go the distance. After a year of studying intermediate level, specializing in Jazz Piano at the Vietnam National Academy of Music, Bom made remarkable progress.

During his 7 years studying at the Piano Jazz Department, Bom always achieved high scores and was an excellent student of the department. Thanks to that, Quoc Tuan felt relieved because his son had good academic results and was increasingly passionate. He wanted his son to be truly serious about his career, because in art there is no respect or tolerance.

Recently, Bom took the intermediate specialized graduation exam and scored 9.3 points. He was evaluated by the judges as having performed well and had a stable performance. Bom was also one of two students who received a scholarship in this exam.

Quoc Tuan and his wife were moved and happy on their son's graduation day (Photo: Vietnamnet). — Quoc Tuan and his wife were emotional and happy on their son's graduation day (Photo: Vietnamnet)

On his son's graduation day, both Quoc Tuan and his wife were happy and proud of their son's growth. According to the plan, after graduating from the Academy, Bom will take the university entrance exam and continue studying for 4 years. Actor Quoc Tuan oriented his son to focus on studying to pursue his dream of becoming a professional pianist.

"I feel a little satisfied, not because my child can do something, but because I see him grow up. Later, when I'm gone, Bom will still have a job to make a living. That makes me really happy," Quoc Tuan emotionally shared.

With perseverance, optimism and boundless love, Quoc Tuan has become a solid support, guiding Bom to overcome all challenges and towards a bright future. The story of overcoming fate of the father and son still inspires millions of people and becomes a meaningful lesson about fatherly love, spreading love to the community.

Actor Quoc Tuan was born in 1961. After working at the Youth Theater, he moved to the Vietnam Feature Film Studio. He tried his hand at directing in the 55-episode film Trai tim kieu huong in 2010. However, Quoc Tuan is best known as an actor.

Quoc Tuan used to be one of the favorite television actors, especially in The General's Whistleblower, 12A and 4H, Those Who Live Around Me... In 2007, he continued to appear in the film Law of Life and has since retired from the screen to take care of his son. In 2023, the artist took on a supporting role in the film The Last Wife , marking his return after 18 years of absence from cinema.

VN (according to VTC News)

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