Minh was just like you.

A busy office worker in his prime.

Working late, grabbing quick meals, surviving on coffee and convenience.

When he first noticed that scratchy feeling in his throat, he didn’t think much of it.

“Probably just a cold,” he told himself.

“Or maybe I’m just tired. Or talked too much in meetings.”

He tried lozenges. Gargled salt water. Drank warm tea with honey.

But week after week, the soreness didn’t go away.

It got worse.

Then came the hoarseness. The pain when swallowing. The earache that wouldn’t quit.

By the time he saw a specialist, the diagnosis hit like thunder:

👉 Stage 2 throat cancer.

At 35.

Five grueling rounds of chemotherapy followed.

Weight loss. Hair loss. Nights spent wide awake, wondering: “How did this happen?”

And then, during a follow-up appointment, his doctor leaned in—not just to discuss recovery—but to issue a quiet, urgent warning: