Vietnamese Family Shelter – Episode 146: A father bursts into tears as his 8-year-old daughter Is surprised with a birthday celebration

In Episode 146 of Vietnamese Family Shelter, viewers were deeply moved by the moment an eight-year-old girl—who has undergone three heart surgeries—shared her simple wish: that her mother stay healthy and that her family can always remain together. The scene in which her father broke down in tears upon seeing his daughter’s surprise birthday celebration touched everyone present.

Do Thi Phi Dung (born in 2010) is currently a tenth-grade student at Hiep Duc High School. She lives with her parents and younger sister in Hiep Duc Commune, Da Nang City.

Despite the family’s difficult financial situation, Phi Dung remains diligent in her studies. She dreams of earning enough money so her parents can receive proper medical treatment and so that she and her sister can continue attending school.

Phi Dung’s father, Do Ngoc Hung (born in 1970), suffers from severe knee osteoarthritis, which makes walking difficult and prevents him from doing heavy labor. Although his condition has worsened and doctors have advised hospitalization, he has repeatedly declined treatment due to financial constraints. He also has cataracts in both eyes and is currently recovering after surgery.
Phi Dung’s mother, Dang Thi Ha (born in 1977), suffered a stroke seven years ago and has since been paralyzed on one side of her body. With his wife bedridden and unable to work, Mr. Hung continues to struggle on despite his own health problems in order to support the family.
The family’s sole source of income comes from raising a sow. Every four months, the pig gives birth to a litter that can be sold. When market prices are favorable, each piglet sells for around 500,000 VND, but during downturns, the price drops to only about 200,000 VND per piglet. Recently, local authorities provided the family with a cow to help improve their livelihood.
Phi Dung’s younger sister, Do Thi Thu Hien, is a second-grade student with fragile health due to congenital tricuspid valve disease. She has undergone three sponsored heart surgeries. Although her condition has improved, she remains physically weak and is unable to participate in strenuous activities. She often experiences shortness of breath and occasionally faints when the weather changes. Hien’s modest wish was simply to have a birthday party and receive gifts from her parents—something she has never experienced in her life.

Mr. Do Ngoc Hung could not hold back his emotions as he witnessed his daughter’s simple wish come true — being given a birthday celebration and receiving gifts.

In a family of four, three members are struggling with illness. With unstable income, their life is constantly marked by hardship. Meals of simple vegetables are a regular part of the family’s daily routine. Witnessing her father’s exhaustion, Phi Dung once considered leaving school to work and help support the family, but at such a young age, there was little she could do. She also understands the importance of education and therefore continues to persevere each day. Phi Dung’s greatest wish is to have enough money for her parents to receive proper medical treatment, so that both sisters can continue going to school.
At the recording studio, the Vietnamese Family Shelter team surprised Thu Hien with a birthday cake and organized the celebration she had long dreamed of. Watching the frail young girl enjoy her first birthday party and hearing her wish that her mother remain healthy so the family could stay together for many years moved everyone in attendance.
After years of single-handedly carrying the burden of the family, Mr. Hung could no longer hold back his tears. He wept as he witnessed his young daughter experiencing a simple joy she had never known before—his tears reflecting both happiness and the deep sorrow accumulated over years of hardship.
MC Dai Nghia was also visibly emotional. He shared that looking into the child’s sparkling eyes as she blew out the candles, he could feel a pure joy that had long been absent from her life. Behind that smile, however, lay a painful journey endured by both the child and her family. He emphasized that Vietnamese Family Shelter not only brought a birthday celebration, but also delivered compassion and hope from the community.

The first birthday cake in Do Thi Thu Hien’s life.

At the conclusion of the program’s challenges, Do Thi Yen Nhi’s family placed third and received 18 million VND; Do Thi Phi Dung’s family finished second with 22 million VND; and first place went to Cao Ngoc Bao Chau’s family, earning a total of 62 million VND.
In addition, artists Quoc Anh, Kieu Loan, and Duc Phuc contributed a total of 65 million VND from their own funds to support the families. Actor Quoc Anh also gifted each family a bicycle to make it easier for the children to travel to school. Tran Dinh Phuong, Deputy General Director of BEE COMM, presented an additional 5 million VND to Phi Dung’s family. Moreover, the mother of runner-up Kieu Loan, who accompanied her daughter to the recording, joined the audience in making donations to support the families.
Thanks to the generosity of the artists, the audience, and benefactors, the total support given to the three families exceeded 420 million VND, including 102 million VND in prize money sponsored by Hoa Sen Group.

Cao Ngoc Bao Chau’s family won first place.
Do Thi Phi Dung’s family came in second.
Do Thi Yen Nhi’s family placed third.

August 8, 2025 marked a particularly meaningful milestone: it was the broadcast date of Episode 146 of Vietnamese Family Shelter, and at the same time, the 24th anniversary of the establishment of Hoa Sen Group (August 8, 2001 – August 8, 2025).
Vietnamese Family Shelter is a deeply humanitarian program sponsored by the Hoa Sen Home Building Materials & Furniture Supermarket Chain (Hoa Sen Group) and Hoa Sen Plastic Pipes – Leading the Source of Happiness. The program stands as a vivid testament to the mission of “bringing happiness to share with the community.”
With the companionship of Hoa Sen Home, Vietnamese Family Shelter is not merely a television program, but also a symbol of the community-oriented development goals that Hoa Sen Group has pursued and steadfastly upheld for more than two decades.
Over 24 years of formation and growth, for Hoa Sen Group in general—and Hoa Sen Home Building Materials & Furniture Supermarket Chain in particular—the concept of “building homes” goes far beyond supplying quality construction materials and interior furnishings. It also means building homes of love, transcending material value to create lasting social and community impact.
Through this program, Hoa Sen Group has brought faith, sharing, and compassion to millions of Vietnamese people, helping countless disadvantaged families find renewed motivation to rise above hardship and build better lives—together nurturing sustainable values for the community and society.

Hoa Sen Group