Story of Thuy
Truong Thanh Thuy (also known as Thuy Muoi) was born in 1985 in Vietnam and in 2003, her family immigrated to the U.S. After graduating from the University of Southern California (USC) with the B.A degree in Computer Science, she returned to Vietnam and started her own career since 2009.
In 2008, Thuy Muoi returned to her hometown - Bien Hoa and established a frozen yogurt production company named Parallel Frozen Yogurt with several friends of hers. While operating the yogurt company, Thuy Muoi at the same time started to build her first business in technology field. Thuy Muoi founded GreenGar - a company famous for drawing application called Whiteboard together with one of her friend in university. Thuy Muoi then continued to develop a messaging application called Tappy – which was later acquired by Silicon Valley mobile gaming company Weeby for a 7-digit price. Thuy Muoi also used to work at Weeby at the position of Business Development Director for Asia area. Thuy Muoi was chosen as the main character to be depicted in the documentary “She Started It” which was filmed during 3 years of her Startup career. The documentary was finally premiered in 2006 and after that it was continuously shown and used as precious material in hundreds of technology companies and the world’s top universities in 30 different countries.
Story of Thuy
Thuy Muoi was dubbed “The Queen of Startups” by BBC. She was also included in "Forbes 30 Under 30" list by Forbes Vietnam magazine in 2015 and The 50 most influential women of Vietnam in 2017.
Her life’s turning point
In 2016, at the peak of her career, Thuy Muoi was diagnosed with end-stage lung cancer. With her wish that "noone has to fight cancer alone", she founded the Salt Cancer Initiative Organization to help cancer patients’ community to have access to accurate information, create a community to inspire and get inspired, to release psychology and emotional hardships. SCI is the first cancer support ecosystem in Vietnam which connects organizations, businesses and sponsors to support cancer patients.
“Think of cancer as the way God tests the strength of us. This challenge comes with much difficulties and full of fatigue but we do not need to fight alone”, she said.
Story of Thuy
Since SCI’s establishment, Thuy Muoi, as an supervisor, has joined with the Executive Board Members to connect thousands of cancer patients and their relatives, implement many sustainable projects that create positive impacts to the treatment of patients diagnosed with different diseases, as well as increase the awareness and concern of the whole society. The outstanding activities include: The monthly meet-up series between professors/doctors and patients; Free weekly yoga class project in 4 cities (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Hue); Weekly project at Hanoi K Hospital for children; Monthly Art classes for cancer patients; Books translation project to create an online cancer library etc.
In addition, SCI also organized many large-scale annual events gathering hundreds to thousands of attendees and supporters such as: Vietnam Oncology Conference and Patient Forum (2017 & 2018) which brought together leading professors, doctors and experts on Cancer from USA and Japan to share information and experience with doctors and patients in Vietnam; The "5000 happy steps - Walk for cancer patients" fund raising event which created a shared space for 1000 participants to accompany the cancer patients; Outdoor flash-mob activity which got the active participation of more than 200 cancer patients, etc.
Story of Thuy
When she was asked about what she loved most in the U.S, she answered “Going hiking”. From the 1st day she knew about her illness, Thuy joined in #52hikechallenge so every trip of her could become an inspirational one, building and strengthening trust for those who still have negative thoughts not only on cancer but also on their daily lives. Since then, she could finish 37 trips. 37 hiking trips on a 3-year journey of a cancer patient at her final stage seems like a utopia but it actually what could most truly prove her immortal spirit.
Take “Day 0” she mentioned 3 years ago as a starting point, her journey could finally reach day 1196.
Having considered cancer as an opportunity to live a second time, in 3 years of fighting with the disease, Thuy Muoi had always been optimistic, positive and an inspiration for many people who have the same with her and even normal people around her. In 2018, she became the inspirational ambassador at We Choice Award.
After the positive influences that Thuy Muoi and her organization had brought to the community, SCI t was honored to be in the Top 2 We Choice Awards (2018) and awarded the National Volunteers Award by Central Committee of Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union in Vietnam, 2019.
