It has been 6 years since Tuyet Nghi and her sister and brother had hamburgers, which used to be their favorite treat. The last time they went to buy burgers was on an afternoon in February 2017. When they returned home, their mother was already lying cold on the bed.
Nghi, also known as Xu, 18, has a very hazy memory of her mother's illness. She only recalls lumps growing on her mother’s body out of the blue and when they got to the hospital, the cancer was said to have been terminal. She was discharged after less than a month of treatment, before passing away two days before Tet, Vietnam’s biggest holiday, which is focused on family gatherings.
Nghi and her sister Nhat Ha, 16, and brother Thien Lam, 10, then agreed among themselves that they would never again eat hamburgers, nor enjoy Tet.