Dear Karen and everyone at the Lifestart Foundation,

I hope this letter finds you all in good health. I wish you and your families every happiness, peace and continued success.

My name is Le Thi Kim Duyen. Today I am writing to you with a mixture of joy and deep emotion to share the news that I have officially graduated as a pharmacist from Da Nang University of Medical Technology and Pharmacy. As I sit down to write these words, I feel both happy and a little overwhelmed. It doesn’t seem so long ago that I was a shy junior high school girl who never imagined she would have the chance to go to university, and yet today I am holding my pharmacy degree in my hands after almost ten years of being loved and supported by all of you. Looking back on this journey, I feel an enormous sense of gratitude. Without the help of my generous sponsor, and everyone at the Lifestart Foundation, I don’t believe I would have had the means to reach this day. So I want to use this letter to share my story with you, and to offer my most heartfelt thanks to everyone who has believed in me and supported me all this time.

My final semester consisted of two main components: a graduation placement and a graduation examination. During my placement at Hospital 199 of the Ministry of Public Security, I was fortunate to be guided generously by the pharmacists in the department. I rotated through five different sections from the medicine storeroom and dispensing to procurement and statistics, pharmaceutical administration and clinical pharmacy as well as other professional activities of the hospital. Each section helped me understand more deeply the role of a pharmacist within the health system and gave me the chance to see how the theory I learned in lectures was applied to real patient care. It was an incredibly valuable time that taught me a great deal, gave me practical experience, a professional work ethic and a stronger sense of the responsibility a pharmacist carries for their patients’ health. For the graduation component, I chose to sit the final examination rather than complete a thesis and I finished it with a fairly good result. Even so, that final semester was one of the most challenging periods of my life. In March this year, I was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. My health declined considerably during that time and I was admitted to hospital several times over the course of a month. There were days when I had to manage my treatment while also trying to keep up with my studies and prepare for final exams. Although I couldn’t give my studies as much focus as I would have liked, I kept telling myself to hold on and see it through, so as not to miss the final stretch of my student life. Thankfully, after everything, I completed the program and reached the GPA goal of 3.3 out of a possible 4.0 that I had set for myself the previous semester. To many people, that number might not seem remarkable, but for me it represents a great deal of effort and perseverance, achieved while my health was no longer what it used to be.

At the end of five years of university, I graduated with Distinction. I feel very happy and grateful that I didn’t give up along the way. At the same time, I understand that it was precisely those difficulties, those stumbles and those moments when I thought I couldn’t go on, that helped me grow so much as a person.

Recently, I have been offered a position with the Long Chau Pharmacy chain, where I will begin my first job after graduating. I had previously hoped that after finishing my degree I would continue studying further so that I could work in a hospital setting. I also love clinical pharmacy very much and once thought that would be my path. However, after weighing things up carefully, I’ve decided to start work. The biggest reason is that my family’s circumstances have changed a great deal recently. My father has lived with a mental health illness for many years and still cannot fully care for himself. He is unable to cook for himself and often forgets to take his medication if he isn’t reminded to. This weighs on me and worries me a great deal. On top of that, since being diagnosed with Lupus, I’ve come to realise that my own health is no longer what it once was. I need time to receive treatment, monitor my condition long-term and adjust my daily routine accordingly. So, for now I feel that starting work is the choice that best suits both my own circumstances and my family’s. I believe that starting out at Long Chau Pharmacy will help me build practical experience, sharpen my professional skills and strengthen how I communicate with patients. Once my life and health settle into a more stable rhythm, I still hope to continue learning and increase my knowledge of the industry. If the opportunity arises, I would be keen to pursue clinical pharmacy, the field I have always loved.

When I look back on the time before I received the Lifestart Foundation scholarship, I still remember very clearly what my family’s circumstances were. My father has lived with mental illness since I was small and before he had access to medication for it, he would often drink, wander off and at times lose control of his own behaviour. Nearly the entire economic burden of the household fell on my mother’s shoulders. She worked to support the whole family while also caring for my father and raising my younger brother and me. Life was genuinely a struggle. As the eldest child, I understood just how hard my mother had to work. Because I never wanted to add to her worries, I did not dare to ask for small things like a ruler for school but would simply borrow one from a friend. Reference books and extra tuition classes felt like an unimaginable luxury to me. I also wasn’t the fastest learner and if there was something in class I didn’t understand, I would ask a friend, or my friend’s mother, to explain it to me again. I used to think that my circumstances probably wouldn’t allow me to go any further than finishing high school. Before I knew about the Lifestart Foundation, I never would have dared to imagine that one day I might receive extra tuition, be fully supported with books and school supplies, or have the chance to set foot in a university lecture hall. Those things felt like a distant dream to me, one I didn’t even dare to hope for.

I still remember exactly how I felt in those first days of learning about the Lifestart Foundation scholarship. At the time, I was a fairly shy student lacking in confidence who never imagined she would have the chance of receiving such a long-term scholarship. I still remember how nervous and shaky I felt every time the staff from the Foundation called to arrange an interview. I was so timid that I didn’t think I answered their questions satisfactorily, and at the time I thought I had probably lost my chance. But then, to my great fortune, I received the trust of you and everyone at the Lifestart Foundation. Even now I remember the joy I felt when I found out I had been given the scholarship. It was the first time I felt that someone believed I too deserved to be given a chance. I think everyone must have seen something in me worth encouraging and supporting. I will always be grateful for that.

Looking back over almost ten years, I realise that the Lifestart Foundation scholarship didn’t just support me materially but also changed how I think about my life and my family’s life. My junior high and high school years were a time when my family faced a great deal of hardship. The Foundation provided me with books, school supplies, reference materials, clothes, shoes and even a bicycle so I could get to school more easily. I was also supported with extra tuition alongside my regular schooling. Perhaps to many people these things seem quite ordinary. But to me, every new book, every set of clothes and the bicycle were enormous gifts. They helped me stop feeling ashamed that I had less than my friends and gave me the motivation to keep working hard at my studies. Once I started university, the Lifestart Foundation’s support continued. My entire university tuition fees were covered along with monthly living expenses so I could focus on my studies with peace of mind. I was even provided with a motorbike so that getting to classes and my placements was easier. To me, this support was never simply about its material value. It gave me the peace of mind to focus on my studies without the constant worry of tuition deadlines or day-to-day expenses. Because of this, my mother, too, was able to let go of a great deal of the burden she carried, no longer having to worry so much about how to support both her children through school. Beyond supporting my education, the Lifestart Foundation has stood by my family through our hardest times. Whenever my hometown was hit by storms and flooding, the Foundation would quickly send essential supplies and financial support to help us recover in the aftermath. That help always arrived exactly when it was needed, giving my family the means to get back on their feet after each natural disaster. What makes me happiest of all is that everyone always asked after my family’s health and wellbeing and always took the time to listen to what I had to share. Every summer, the Foundation would arrange for me to take part in gatherings with older scholarship recipients and the younger children in the program. To me, these were never just fun outings but opportunities to learn, to broaden my understanding, to make new friends and to hear so many inspiring stories from those who had walked this path before me. Those experiences helped me grow more confident and gradually open up to others.

I have often asked myself what my life would look like now if I had never met the Lifestart Foundation. I think I probably would have managed to finish high school. But going on to university, especially to study pharmacy which has high tuition and study costs would have been extremely difficult for my family at the time. If our financial situation hadn’t allowed both my brother and me to attend university, I believe my mother would have chosen to let my brother continue his studies, since he learns more quickly and does better academically than I do. I would have understood completely and would never have blamed her for it, because she was already carrying so much. Simply raising the two of us, caring for my father and managing our daily life was an enormous burden. I think I would have chosen to start working early to help support my mother, rather than continuing my education. I would never have had the chance to enter the field of medicine and pharmacy, never had the chance to study what I love and never dared to dream that one day I might become a pharmacist. To the girl I was in junior high, that dream would have felt impossibly far away. Looking back on this almost decade-long journey, I understand more and more that the Lifestart Foundation scholarship didn’t just give me the means to go to school, it changed the entire future for me and my family. You gave me an opportunity that would have been impossible for me to achieve on my own.

From Year 11 onwards, my family faced one hardship after another, as my mother needed surgery for a herniated disc and was no longer able to work as much as before. During that time, I was studying, caring for my mother in hospital, looking after my father and younger brother at home and taking on extra work at the same time. My studies inevitably suffered, and my results began to slip. There were times when I felt overwhelmed with pressure, lost faith in myself and felt I no longer deserved the trust the Foundation had placed in me. When I began university, I carried so much hope with me, because I was finally studying in the field I loved. But in my very first practical sessions, I noticed that my hands were weak and would tire easily, my fingertips would turn pale whenever I was stressed or in cold weather. Even seemingly simple tasks, like using a pipette, were things I couldn’t do successfully no matter how much I practised. It was only later, after being diagnosed with Lupus, that I understood these had been the very first signs of the illness that I had been experiencing since my early university years. That was why my academic results dropped significantly in my second and third years and I genuinely thought I would lose my scholarship. But I am most grateful that the Foundation never gave up on me. Everyone kept listening, encouraging me and urging me to keep going. It was that trust that helped me get through the hardest periods and, step by step, find my confidence again.

Today, looking back, I realise that the most precious thing the Lifestart Foundation ever gave me wasn’t just a scholarship but faith and hope. Because of your support, a girl who once felt ashamed of her family’s circumstances and incapable of following her dreams, has today become a pharmacist who graduated with Distinction. I understand that behind that degree lies not only my own effort, but also my mother’s sacrifices, the love of my family and above all, nearly ten years of quiet, steadfast companionship from you and everyone at the Lifestart Foundation. I will always remember and treasure this priceless gift you have given me throughout my journey to adulthood.

Thank you all for believing in me from the days when I was a timid little girl. Thank you for never giving up on me during the times I felt weakest. Thank you for giving me the chance to study, to grow and to change the course of my life. I know I will never be able to fully repay everything I have received. But I promise to live with kindness, to work with complete responsibility and to strive to become a good pharmacist who loves and helps the people around her. I also hope that one day, when I am in a position to do so, I will be able to pass this same love and care on to other children facing hardship, just as the Lifestart Foundation once did for me.

Once again, I want to offer you my most sincere thanks. Thank you for standing by me for almost ten years. This particular chapter, of a student on scholarship, closes today but the lessons, love and the gratitude I carry with me will stay with me for the rest of my journey.

I wish you and everyone at the Lifestart Foundation good health, peace and happiness. I hope the Lifestart Foundation will continue to walk alongside many more students facing hardship, just as I once did, so that they too may have the chance to write their own beautiful stories.

With my deepest thanks to you all,

Le Thi Kim Duyen