Living in the suburb of Hanoi, she always had a look of sorrow as her schoolmates always laughed at her big black spot on her right arm. None of them wanted to make friends with her and they all called her “an ugly duck.”

Nguyen Thi Xiem, “the ugly duck’s name,” is only 12 years old and she is in grade 7 in Trung Chau Secondary School, Dan Phuong, Hanoi. Thanks to Donxa, a couple from Belgium financially adopted her and finding out about the birthmark. They wanted to support her an operation to remove the birthmark. When Xiem first knew about that, she was very happy. She ran round her house and said, “If I would not have longer this birthmark, my friends would not call me ugly duck anymore and they would like to play with me.” Those innocent words of the child made the mother feel so emotion.

Living in the suburb of Hanoi, she always had a look of sorrow as her schoolmates always laughed at her big black spot on her right arm. None of them wanted to make friends with her and they all called her “an ugly duck.”

Nguyen Thi Xiem, “the ugly duck’s name,” is only 12 years old and she is in grade 7 in Trung Chau Secondary School, Dan Phuong, Hanoi. Thanks to Donxa, a couple from Belgium financially adopted her and finding out about the birthmark. They wanted to support her an operation to remove the birthmark. When Xiem first knew about that, she was very happy. She ran round her house and said, “If I would not have longer this birthmark, my friends would not call me ugly duck anymore and they would like to play with me.” Those innocent words of the child made the mother feel so emotion.

On a summer day in July 2010, a Donxa member  took the girl to Dermatology and Venerology Hospital for the operation. Although it was an extremely hot and humid day, not for a moment did the little girl stop smiling. The operation lasted 2 hours and it was very successful. Her mum said in happy tears “I want to say thanks to Donxa and my daughter’s foster parents for this invaluable gift. We could never afford this surgery.”

 

Xiem is very happy with her operation

In six months from now, Xiem will get one more operation to remove the remaining part of the birthmark.

The help from Donxa means a lot to this little girl. It has brightened up her life, given her hope for a better future.