Tran Manh Cuong

For 10 years, Tran Manh Cuong strived to lead a typical adolescent life, living with his parents and sister, hanging out with friends, and going to school, all without a left leg or a prosthetic device to replace it.

Tran, now 24, got into a car accident on his way to take an exam at school and underwent an above-the-knee amputation on his left leg when he was just 12. It took a year for his wound to heal, but for the next nine years, he was unable to find a prosthesis to help him walk again due to financial constraints and because his family lives in a province far from any major cities.

Despite all of this, Tran remembers skipping very few days of school and said his teachers allowed him to take his exams at home. Sitting in bed and recovering from the surgery, Tran passed with flying colors.