While working at a construction site in 2005, Thang accidentally touched an exposed high-voltage power line while installing a metal roof. The electric shock threw him six meters to the ground and left him in a coma for a month.
When he regained consciousness, he learned that doctors had removed all four of his limbs to save his life. Several more surgeries followed before they could stop the damage caused by severe electrical burns.
After four months in hospital, Thang returned home completely dependent on his family. His mother fed him every meal, while his father and older brother carried him whenever he needed to bathe or use the toilet.
Unable to accept what had happened, he spent his days facing the wall, refusing to eat and crying silently.
His mother, Ngo Thi Hong, now 74, still remembers holding what remained of her son's arm and telling him: "As long as you're alive, we'll find a way."
