They sang and danced together under bright lights on a stage called "We sing". No one thinks they are people fighting against cancers. At that moment, they left behind the exhausting days of chemotherapy, and radiotherapy to stand together on a boat called “WE CAN” with the mission of spreading a positive rhythm of life and a spirit of kindness to families having people living in similar situations.

Be happy one more day

“No more dark and tough days

No more unbreakable pains and sorrows

I could live again…just like a dream..."

The poignant sound from the song “Khi nguoi lang nghe”  (When people listen) by Le Cat Trong Ly rose in the middle of the auditorium with the ao dai dance performed by more than a dozen amateur actors. While dancing, they observed carefully and supported each other to prevent… from falling. They are all "warriors" who have been treated for cancer.

The music night "We sing” this year was organized by the non-profit organization WE CAN in Da Nang on May 8 to call for the cooperation of the community to provide material and spiritual support for cancer patients and their families. All money raised in the concert will be contributed to the scholarship fund "Weaving a dream with you" for the children aged 12 to 18 of cancer patients who have difficult circumstances.

As shared by Doctor Nguyen Thi Ai Nghia, working at Da Nang Eye Hospital, she is also a cancer patient. She has participated in cultural performances for agencies and local units, but this stage was the first time she stood on the same stage with those who are also fighting a terrible disease. All of them are suffering from cancer so they understand and unite to perform the entire performance together to contribute to mentally spreading the motivation to live a happy, healthy and useful life to other patients.

Cancer patients performed "Because we share the same blood" at the music night "We sing". Photo: X.S

In order to have the rhythmic dance "Khi nguoi lang nghe" on stage, they practised dancing regularly from April 20 to May 7 under the guidance of a choreographer. On the last night before the show, they took each other to the park to practice dance for the last time to get used to the crowd atmosphere and avoid being nervous on stage.

Besides the dancers is the vocalist Nguyen Thi Hanh, a cancer patient from Quang Nam Province who made the whole audience applaud when she sang the meaningful song "Bau oi dung khoc” by Hamlet Truong with her small body, unhealthy legs and terminal bone metastatic colon cancer. “I was born unlucky like many others but I am happy to sing and talk to everyone. I think every person present in this life has a mission and should try to fulfil it while we are still alive," confided Ms Hanh.

For cancer patients K participating in the music night, they temporarily put the days of chemotherapy and radiation therapy behind to meet each other on dancing and singing occasions in particular or social activities in general. More importantly, it is to be happy and chat together after hours of treatment because they understand that time waits for no one.

Spreading positive energy

Ms Le Hoang Ngan, residing in Hoa Minh Ward, Lien Chieu District, is the founder of WE CAN as well as a cancer patient. For nearly 3 years now, she has tried her utmost to call for funding from businesses, and sponsors to build WE CAN to provide "sufficient, correct and necessary" information about cancer for patients, their families and the community, to accompany patients via community projects, health consultations, beauty makeup tutorials, cultural exchanges, and scholarship fundraisers.

This was the second time "We sing" music night was organised by WE CAN after the success of the first time in 2021. At the show, the audience immersed themselves in the cosy and intimate music space with performances by cancer patients, doctors, and artists such as Lan Nha, and Vu Bao. The performances were carefully choreographed and prepared with the enthusiastic direction of general director Nguyen Phuoc Vu Bao.

Bearing the message "Incubating hopes", the program is an opportunity for cancer patients to connect, exchange, and help the community have positive thoughts and attitudes about cancer when listening to their sharing and enjoy the performances performed by cancer "warriors". This is also the mind of the founder of WE CAN Le Hoang Ngan and the general director of "We sing", singer Vu Bao.

For Mr Vu Bao, the presence of WE CAN as a compassionate boat brings material and spiritual encouragement to cancer patients. That is why he accompanies WE CAN on the journey of bringing faith to cancer warriors. As an artist and having stood on many stages, Vu Bao could not hide his emotion when singing with the cancer patients.

Besides, Ms Cong Huyen Ton Nu Hai Van, owner of Phuoc Thien pharmacy, is also a special sponsor accompanying "We sing" and WE CAN. During complicated COVID-19 resurgences, Ms Van was the one who arranged accommodation and rented houses for cancer patients. Then suddenly she herself found out… she also has cancer. “The days of accompanying WE CAN help me understand, and calmly and peacefully cope with it”, Ms Van said.

According to Ms Le Hoang Ngan, from the support of the fund "Weaving dreams together with children" in 2021, 19 children from Da Nang, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, and Binh Dinh provinces were awarded scholarships with each support worth VND 12 million per school year. In 2022, WE CAN plans to expand the list to 30 scholarship recipients.

Breathing a sigh of relief when the music night ended, Ms Ngan hopes that "We sing 2022" was a memorable memory for the attendees and a moment that everyone will feel excited about when they remember later because of the meaningful moments. She said that joining WE CAN is a way to make herself busier and more purposeful. WE CAN will continue its journey for cancer patients in the future so that life is no longer tasteless.

Reporting by XUAN SON- Translating by T.VY