On October 19, 2006, a 3-year-old girl named Tran Duong Mai went missing at Tan Nam Station Square (Quan Do, Kunming, China). Father Tran Thang Loi asked the authorities for support and left his hometown of Guizhou to go everywhere to find his daughter.
For 19 years, he drove a truck across the country. To make a living and expand leads to find people, Mr. Loi learned candy making, set up stalls at places he visited, selling and asking about the whereabouts.
The man's truck was also filled with a notice to find his daughter. He also attended famous events and festivals in Guizhou to hold a sign and a bieuese about Tran Duong Mai.
It was not until April 14, 2025 that Mr. Tran Thang Loi received news about his daughter through a call from the police. Tran Duong Mai still lives in Quan Do, Con Minh - where the girl went missing.
On April 18, 2025, Mr. Loi drove more than 500km from Guizhou to Kunming to meet his daughter more than 19 years apart. The father and son hugged each other in tears and happiness.
But after getting together, the family faced a difficult situation. After 19 years of looking for children, Mr. Loi fell into a debt of more than 400,000 yuan. Currently, the amount has been reduced to 130,000 yuan, but the income from selling candy is not enough to cover expenses.
Currently, the father continues to sell candy and learn new skills to find another job. Tran Duong Mai's daughter participated in charity activities to repay the "love debt". At the same time, she also sells on social networks, planning to find a new job to support her father.
According to Chinese media, 2025 is the first year Mr. Loi will enjoy "Father's Day" with his daughter Tran Duong Mai. In recent years, because he has been busy looking for children, this man has not had time to rest and live for himself.
Therefore, Tran Duong Mai planned to take her father to buy clothes, to surprise him. She said: "Suddenly, having another family, two fathers with two completely different personalities made me unable to adapt. But I will try to integrate quickly, bringing the best to him.
On Fathers Day, I recall the scene of the first time I met my biological parents. They ran to hug me and cried a lot. They really love me, my father is wonderful. I hope to celebrate more Fathers Day, making up for the 19 years apart.
