When she has free time, Nguyen Quynh, who lives and works in Taiwan, often turns on her camera to check on her 84-year-old grandmother in Quang Ninh. For years, the family has installed two-way cameras in their home so that the grandma can communicate with her grandchildren despite being thousands of miles apart.
An Unexpected Event Through the Camera
On January 24th morning, while monitoring through the camera, Quynh was surprised to see her silver-haired grandmother standing before the lens, looking exhausted. She choked out, “No one is home. I’m feeling dizzy. I can’t hold the phone. I’m going to lie down.”
Grandma calling grandchildren through camera
An 84-year-old grandma emotionally calls her grandchildren through the camera (Photo: Provided by the subject).
At that moment, all family members were either at work or school, leaving only the grandmother alone at home. Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Quynh quickly contacted her father at his workplace to arrange for a doctor from a nearby clinic to come and care for her. After receiving an IV and a vitamin shot, the grandmother’s health stabilized the next day.
“She suffered from low blood pressure, insomnia, and the cold weather made her body very weak. Luckily, she’s feeling better now, able to walk normally and eat porridge,” Quynh shared.
Reuniting During Tet
Two days after the incident, Quynh and her three married sisters returned to Quang Ninh to celebrate Tet with their grandmother. Before this, Quynh had returned to Vietnam for New Year’s Day and then went back to Taiwan to continue working. This time, she secretly recorded the moment of reuniting with her grandmother. However, the grandmother soon recognized her granddaughter who had been away for nearly half a year.
“Except when I’m working, I always make time to watch the camera to know how my grandmother and family are doing in Vietnam,” Quynh said.
Spreading Positive Energy
The grandmother became famous on social media four years ago thanks to viral videos capturing her daily life. Quynh started filming her grandmother in 2021 and was surprised by the enthusiastic response from the community.
The videos about the grandmother are always natural and reflect the authentic life of a kind-hearted elderly woman with silver hair. Her honest, humorous, and sometimes sharp remarks have attracted many viewers. Many people expressed that they felt positive energy from her and found familiar images of their own grandparents in the footage.
“I often post happy videos about her, just wanting to spread positive energy to everyone. When the community showed interest, I decided to post more frequently,” Quynh shared.
Currently, she has over 200 videos about her grandmother, many of which have received millions of views and interactions.
The Life and Love of the Grandma
Quynh shared that her parents divorced early, and she and her two older siblings were raised by her grandmother, while her younger sister followed her mother. Later, her father moved south, remarried, and had another son. In Quang Ninh, the grandmother sold rice cakes at the market entrance, raising the three children alone.
When Quynh finished high school, her grandmother retired from selling rice cakes at the age of 70. As her health declined and she could no longer wake up early to prepare, she decided to “retire” and stay home with her grandchildren.
Quynh revealed that her grandmother’s secret to staying healthy is her “funny curses” that make the whole family laugh. Every day, she still rides her bike to the market to chat with her old friends.
“We grew up with the rice cakes she sold. She loves us deeply; though she often seems angry in the videos, she is actually very kind and cheerful,” Quynh said.
This story not only reflects the touching bond between the grandmother and her grandchildren but also serves as a reminder of the value of family connections in the age of technology. Take time to care for your loved ones, no matter how far apart you may be.
