Ninh Văn Hùng, a quiet and seemingly shy 22-year-old from Yên Định, Thanh Hóa, carries a profound sense of responsibility beneath his reserved exterior. As the only son and eldest male in his large family of six siblings—three of whom are visually impaired—Hùng navigates a role imbued with unspoken duties and expectations in rural Vietnam. Hung is one of students attending our Swedish Massage Training Program co-organized with Ninh Binh Province’s Blind Association in October 2020.
Hùng was born with low vision, and though his eyesight initially surpassed that of his two sisters, who can only distinguish light and darkness, it has been gradually worsening. He completed high school alongside sighted peers, never truly identifying himself as blind or disabled. After graduation, he moved to Hanoi, determined to forge his own path, trying various jobs. “I never thought I was blind,” he reflects. “And I never imagined I’d one day be a massage therapist.”
But life, as it often does, had other plans. As his vision declined and the weight of family care grew heavier, his two sisters—both trained massage therapists—encouraged him to return home to Ninh Bình and learn their trade. Hùng began by learning directly from them, and together, they bravely opened a massage business in February 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic began to sweep across the globe.
“We opened right as the lockdowns hit,” he recalls. “There were no clients, and everything felt uncertain.” Yet, the three siblings persevered. Hùng shouldered the household chores—cooking and cleaning—while also treating what few clients they had. “From morning to night, I was in the house,” he says. “Except for when I went to the market, I had no time to go out. I had just moved to the city and didn’t have any friends. Then the pandemic came, and I didn’t even know where I could go.”
His sisters had long been active in the Ninh Bình Blind Association, and through their connections, Hùng was introduced to a Swedish massage training course—a rare and valuable opportunity for professional advancement. At first, he was hesitant. “Before this, I didn’t even know what massage therapy really was,” he admits. “But now, I’m learning real techniques and meeting new people. It’s the first time in a long while that I feel like myself again.”
Hùng still dreams of traveling—of seeing new places and learning from the world around him. “When I was younger, I wanted to be a driver,” he shares with a gentle smile. “They get to go everywhere, meet people, and learn things for free.”
However, those personal dreams have been set aside for now. As the sole son and head of his extended family, Hùng feels a deep obligation to care for his aging parents and his sisters, one of whom is a single mother and the other recently divorced. “Only when everyone else is okay will I think about my own life,” he states, the weight of his responsibility palpable. “I’ve spent years helping my family pay off debts from building our house. There are too many people depending on me.”
Though he sometimes considers marriage, he remains hesitant. “I want a wife who can see,” he confesses, “but I worry—would she love me for who I am? Would she stay, or would she leave?” Back in his village, the stigma against people with disabilities remains strong. “People still gossip. They criticize every little thing. That’s why I rarely go back,” he explains. “They talk even more about my sisters. It’s hard.”
Despite these heavy burdens, Hùng finds a quiet joy in learning. “Joining this class has been a turning point,” he says. “I’m not stuck in four walls anymore. I’m learning things I never thought I could do. I’ve even discovered some great breakfast spots and met people who understand me.”
One of Hùng’s hopes for the future is simple yet powerful. “After COVID settles down, I want to visit Omamori Spa,” he says. “I’d love to experience a real Swedish massage from the professionals there. Just once.”
In his silence, Hùng carries the weight of many lives. But with each new day, he is not just holding up others—he is learning, healing, and slowly building a life of his own, guided by quiet strength and an unwavering sense of duty.
