Diem Trinh had 2 accidents, 3 surgeries, at 71 years old, struggling and no one invited her to perform.

Once a cai luong actress familiar to television audiences for many generations, but now, at the age of 71, artist Diem Trinh has many illnesses, wants to perform but no one dares to invite her.

In 2015, Diem Trinh almost died twice in traffic accidents. Since then, her health has seriously declined and she has suffered from many other illnesses. One of the illnesses she suffered from was varicose veins, where blood is not pumped to the brain but instead is pooled in the legs, causing blood vessels to rupture. This caused her to have an abdominal aortic aneurysm and two renal arteries.

Female artist has a difficult life at the age of 71

In 2019, Diem Trinh's health suddenly took a turn for the worse. She was hospitalized due to complications from colitis after surgery for an abdominal aortic aneurysm and both renal arteries.

Her weight plummeted from 66 kg to 44 kg, requiring IV fluids and protein to stay alive. Her family used up all their health insurance and had to borrow money to pay the hospital bill of more than 1.4 million VND/day. During that difficult time, she felt very guilty about having to accept financial support from her colleagues.

In 2020, after continuing her health check at People's Hospital 115 (HCMC), she was diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm and two renal arteries, requiring urgent surgery. The major surgery lasted up to 7 hours, costing up to 300 million VND, after deducting health insurance, she still had to spend about 100 million VND. With support from the "Mai Vang Nhan Ai" program (later renamed "Mai Vang Tri An") organized by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper and Nam A Bank, she received attention and help not only materially but also spiritually from colleagues and audiences.

After 3 surgeries, artist Diem Trinh's health is better, but she is still very weak, so she has difficulty working and her finances are tight. During Tet 2021, the audience could not help but feel sorry when witnessing her crying because the group of artists gave her 5 million VND to spend during Tet.

At the age of 71, Diem Trinh lives in a small house in Ho Chi Minh City with her husband who is over 70 years old, her daughter and her grandchild. The actress's son, 28 years old, is working as a hired hand. Her daughter is divorced and has to raise a 4-year-old child alone. Her finances are also difficult, so despite her illness, she still has to take care of her children day and night and stay home to take care of her grandchild.

In an interview with the Ngu Long Du Ky group, the female artist once said that she really wanted to perform, but no one dared to invite her because they were afraid of her illness. She herself was not strong enough to do manual labor or trade, so she struggled.

"A neighbor invited me to bring lottery tickets home to sell, but I refused because I couldn't walk. Before, I planned to rent a space to sell vermicelli soup and banh khot, but I couldn't do it because I couldn't hire any assistant. Moreover, I could do any job to make a living, but I kept missing my job," she said.

Currently, in addition to her free time at home taking care of her grandchildren, Diem Trinh still finds odd jobs such as peeling onions, baking,... to earn extra income and cover her living expenses.

"Our economy is tight because I used to work to take care of my family. When I was sick and lying down, my artist friends and siblings shared a lot to save my life. I really appreciate it, so I try to stay healthy and live to work," she once confided.

In her old age, she gradually returned with the Ho Chi Minh City Drama Theater. Under the direction of director Hoang Tan, she participated in the play "Give Me Your Child", performing in the "School Stage" program series at schools organized by the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports. Her appearance on the student stage, even a small show, satisfied the tired steps of an artist for many years.

Now, all the support from friends, artists and audiences has given Diem Trinh enough strength to continue. Although she no longer has the opportunity to play big roles on television like before, she is still satisfied because she has become a part of the stage life, guiding young people and small audiences with each performance that "touches the heart".

Career building journey

Artist Diem Trinh was born in 1954 in Vietnam, grew up in a poor family but had a passion for Cai Luong since childhood. From the age of 17, she followed Cai Luong troupes to tour everywhere, persistently honing each performance step, each way of raising and lowering vong co sentences. In the early 1970s, Diem Trinh passed the entrance exam to Stage School 2, specializing in Cai Luong, with systematic training according to the method of intellectualizing traditional arts.

After graduating, she joined the Dong Nai Opera Troupe in a remote countryside, where she and her colleagues lived together in huts and ate cassava to save money. Despite the lack of material life, she never thought of giving up her passion. During these years, she tried her hand at many roles, from maids, crows to challenging villain roles, as she shared: "There were times when I was hung on a wire, performing flying and jumping in the air, very dangerous".

In 1976, she moved to the Kim Cuong Drama Troupe, marking the beginning of her career in the theater. Here, Diem Trinh participated enthusiastically in plays such as "The Late Lover" and "Under Two Shirts", continuously conquering the audience with her genuine emotional performance. In 1989, she moved to the Young Drama Troupe of Meritorious Artist Bach Lan. Later, this troupe merged with the Cuu Long Giang troupe, forming the Ho Chi Minh City Drama Theater as it is today.

Along with the stage, Diem Trinh also acted in many skits and TV series. Some of the titles include "Love like a ray of sunshine", "Crystal is not easy to break", "Lost heart", "The summer region changes", "Love you so much, ferry".

Although not as prominent as some of her contemporaries, she still won the love of the audience through her emotional and sincere supporting roles. Her life was therefore not rich, her salary was not high, she had to save up little by little to survive.

Up to now, artist Diem Trinh has been involved in acting for nearly 50 years. She was once proud to buy a small house in Binh Tan (HCMC) thanks to her own salary despite her poor living conditions.

The life and career of artist Diem Trinh is a story of perseverance, overcoming difficulties and an undying love for art. From a maid in a reformed opera troupe to a mother, a wife devoted to the stage, and then to a patient facing life and death... she has accepted all with passion. Without noise, without gossip, she quietly and persistently continues to contribute to art, to family and society. In her old age, she continues to live her life to the fullest with her acting career, proving that art is the breath, the driving force, and the greatest spiritual legacy in the life of a true artist like Diem Trinh.

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