"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear,” Franklin D. Roosevelt. What would your initial reaction be if you were told that you had only two more years to live? Depression? Disappointment? Or disbelief? Most found themselves being rooted to the spot, shattered and dumbfounded. However, some saw the situation as an opportunity, and perhaps a motivation to start a new journey towards becoming a better person, and sacrificing themselves for the good of others. February 2nd, 2011, the Vietnamese New Year's Day. The old-fashioned, musty-odoured living room was filled with an exotic blend of delightfully moth-watering aromas: home-made roasted chickens, perfectly fried eggs, pickled cucumbers and grilled pork...It was a typical family gathering.

As my cousins and I were fooling around with a deck of cards, Aunt Xuan entered the room. A single mother of two, she had been diagnosed with colo-rectal cancer. Although she had undergone a major surgery earlier this year, the doctors said it was too late to stop the tumours from spreading. Aunt Xuan was a tough person though, and nothing in this world could have stopped her from re-opening the community's charitable English class. She had been teaching poor school children in the neighbourhood for several years now.

To Aunt Xuan, teaching English wasn't simply something she did for a living, it was a lot more of a passion: "My tumours couldn't be stopped, and neither could my passion to educate and improve the lives of others", she told me with a smile as we were having a personal conversation in the backyard.

It's rather strange that I've never really thought of Aunt Xuan as a distant relative, but probably more of a friend. She had always helped me with exam preparations, and had largely contributed to my glamorous "A" in the "First Certificate in English" examination which I sat for in late December, 2009.

From downloading sample papers to practicing my far-from-perfect listening skills, the list was endless. Aunt Xuan had always played a major role in my life, and she would have done anything to help me out whenever I encountered obstacles.

Currently under remission, she works from dusk to dawn: driving her two children to school, setting up a new curriculum for the English class, cooking sumptuous meals...I have never, even once in my life believed in miracles, but if I had had a chance to wish for one, I would surely have wished for a cure for cancer.

I cannot imagine how my life would be like without Aunt Xuan, but her incredible optimism and will to get the best out of her life were things that I will always look up to. Aunt Xuan was the person who had inspired me to become a doctor in oncology when I grow up.

Despite the prejudice as well as social injustice experienced by women in developing countries, there are always individuals who do their best to overcome challenges and achieve personal goals. My Aunt is a shining example. She is an individual who never takes no for an answer, and is always willing to help the needy around her. Every single day should be Women's Day, and all women who have brought changes or contributed to improving the lives of others should always be congratulated and appreciated for everything they have achieved.

Nguyen Ngoc Viet Nu Aged 15, British Council Secondary Level (7X) English Language Student HCMC