Nhat Linh: Lost an arm, shares a room with 3 families, U60 sells milk tea for a living

Losing an arm in an accident, his career collapsed in an instant, but singer Nhat Linh did not succumb to fate. At the age of 53, he stuck with his small milk tea cart in the heart of Tan Binh district to support his family and keep the flame of life burning silently in his artist's heart.

A Cruel Turn on the Path of Charity

Born in 1972, singer Nhat Linh was once a familiar name among lovers of lyrical music, bolero and pop music. With his sweet, soulful voice and warm performance style, he has had a loyal audience for many years of singing. His wife is also a singer, but because she is not famous, her income is unstable. To help her husband with the economy, she turned to selling online.

For many years, he and his wife managed to do many jobs to keep their passion alive and take care of their three children. He opened a recording studio and taught music to earn extra money. Life was not rich, but peaceful. Until one fateful night in 2016.

That night, while returning from a charity performance in Hoc Mon with his wife and children, their car was hit by a container. "I didn't know anything anymore. When I woke up and realized I was still alive, I cried. But then the pain came, and I knew I was no longer whole," Nhat Linh shared tearfully on the show Anonymous Singer.

The singer had to undergo two major surgeries. The wound was so severe that doctors were forced to amputate an entire arm to save his life. "Because the situation was so critical, I was operated on without anesthesia or sedation. I remember every cut the knife made into my flesh clearly," he said.

His health declined, his body was disabled, and the worst things had not stopped. After being discharged from the hospital, the show organizers who had been with him gradually turned their backs. There were calls to terminate his contract, and he no longer came to see him. "I don't know if they forgot me, or if they were afraid that the image of a one-armed singer on stage would make the audience afraid. But I clearly felt that I was being rejected. My singing was also rejected," he confided in Lao Dong newspaper.

The man "must stand up at all costs"

The pain of loss, both physical and mental, can knock anyone down. But Nhat Linh did not allow himself to fall. "For the sake of my wife and children, I have to stand up. Only when we conquer ourselves, that is the greatest victory," he shared with Vietnamnet newspaper.

He and his wife opened a small milk tea shop near their home on Tran Van Quang Street, Tan Binh District. Every day, from 4pm to 10pm, Nhat Linh pushes his cart out to sell. Sometimes it's milk tea, other times it's snacks to change the taste for customers. On rainy days, his remaining hands work even harder. But his eyes still light up when customers come to buy, especially those who recognize "Linh used to sing that song very well".

"I have a heart disease and am in poor health. Sometimes I don't dare look at my children because I'm afraid that one day I won't have enough strength to protect them. But I still have to smile so that my children won't be afraid," he confided in the Sports & Culture newspaper.

His family currently lives with three other families in a small house in Tan Binh left by his parents. His mother fell ill and passed away because of worrying about her son. His brother - the closest person - also passed away in 2020. The consecutive losses caused Nhat Linh to fall into a mental crisis. But then, he struggled to overcome it.

Meritorious Artist Kim Tu Long: "He is a true artist"

When the incident happened, the first person to call for help for Nhat Linh was Meritorious Artist Kim Tu Long. Not only did he donate 10 million VND, he also introduced shows and supported his colleague to sing again. "I know Linh is a decent person and takes her job seriously. Linh's incident made me very sad. I believe that the audience will still love her sincere singing," Meritorious Artist Kim Tu Long shared.

Thanks to that help, Nhat Linh was invited to participate in the show Anonymous Singer, where he confided: "Not being able to sing is like being dead to me. I just hope the audience will give me a chance to come back."

Keep kindness in the storms of life

In 2020, at a fundraising auction for orphans, Nhat Linh spent 47 million VND to buy a Buddha statue. That amount of money was almost all of his family's savings over many months. "I only have one arm left. I lost everything - part of my body, my mother, my brother - but I don't want to lose faith in good things. I would like to give it away, even though I don't have much left," he said, making the whole hall silent.

Not only Nhat Linh - The pain of unlucky artists

Nhat Linh's story is not unique in the artist world. Many artists have difficult lives in their old age.

Early success and earning a lot of money made Thuong Tin indulge in a life of debauchery. He once shared that there were nights when he spent several taels of gold just to pay for food, dancing and conquering women.

In his life, he was married once and had a son. The rest were just lovers or lived together without marriage. Among them, there was a rich woman named Xuan who had a child with him. But while she was pregnant with his child, this woman got engaged to another man and moved to America. He never met his daughter and has not heard from her since. In many conversations with the media, artist Thuong Tin said that this was the biggest regret in his life.

Currently, in his old age, although he has a wife and children, Thuong Tin lives in poverty and his wife and children are far apart.

Male artist Vu Linh Vuong was once a famous star of the Cai Luong stage. He shared the stage with many famous artists such as Ut Bach Lan, Ha My Xuan, Phuong Tung... He was mainly assigned the main role.

Once a glorious time, the late afternoon of artist Vu Linh Vuong is quite unfortunate. He suffered 4 strokes, cannot walk by himself and has to use a wheelchair. Currently, he is sharing a 10m2 rented room with another person.

Currently, the male artist's relatives only have a few younger siblings, but they are all poor. Occasionally, they support him with a little money to cover living expenses.

Faith never dies

At the age of 53, the age when he should be at ease, enjoying the sweet fruits of his many years of dedication, Nhat Linh started over again with a small milk tea cart. But his voice, although no longer resounding on the big stage, still warms the hearts of those who have heard and understood his life story.

Life may have taken away many things from him: an arm, the spotlight, loved ones. But there are still things that no one can take away - the will to live, the love of music and kindness.

And that is also the reason why, despite the hardships of life, Nhat Linh still smiles when welcoming customers to her milk tea shop. It is not only a place to make a living, but also a small stage - where artists can continue to live with their passion, and sing with all their heart.

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