A teacher’s lesson about herself

Hạnh’s story of health and survival

After more than 20 years in the classroom, Hạnh was used to caring for hundreds of students and her two young children at home. A packed teaching schedule and late nights grading papers meant she always put her own health off — “until tomorrow.”

“I could remember every one of my children’s vaccination dates, but not the last time I saw a doctor,” Hạnh laughs.

A parent from her class, who was also a doctor, encouraged her to get a full screening. At first Hạnh hesitated, feeling perfectly healthy. But thinking of her two young children, she decided to give one morning to herself.

The screening at GC&Phenikaa detected an abnormal thyroid nodule at a very early stage — something she had no idea about. Because it was caught in time, monitoring and treatment became far simpler.

“If we could have 5 or 10 more years with our children, why wouldn’t we do it? One appointment gave me the peace of mind to keep walking alongside my kids and my students.”

Today, Hạnh treats regular check-ups like a “lesson plan” for herself. She often reminds colleagues and parents: caring for others is precious, but your own health deserves to be a priority too.