DNA testing confirms that Arthur Chareire and Nguyen Thi Hoi are biologically mother and son.
Following the announcement on May 21, an emotional online reunion was held at Dantri’s newsroom between Hoi and her son, who currently resides in France.
Dantri live-streamed the meeting, which Colonel Ha Quoc Khanh, former Deputy Director of the Criminal Science Institute under the Ministry of Public Security and Senior Advisor to Gentis International DNA Testing, attended. Colonel Khanh opened the reunion by delivering the test results.
Colonel Ha Quoc Khanh delivers the test results to Nguyen Thi Hoi on May 21.
“I am honoured to announce on behalf of the testing centre that the DNA analysis confirms a biological mother-son relationship between Nguyen Thi Hoi and Vu Van Dau (Arthur Chareire),” he stated.
Hoi was visibly emotional upon hearing the result. On the other side of the screen, Arthur, a young film director, repeatedly expressed his gratitude in French.
“I couldn’t sleep last night. It feels like a dream. I had prepared many things to say, but now I am truly overwhelmed. Thank you, thank you... I don’t know how many times I can say thank you for this miracle,” he said.
Phạm Phuc Hung, Managing Editor of Dantri, extended heartfelt congratulations to both mother and son.
“Congratulations. What a rare and extraordinary reunion after so many years. Few people in life are granted such a miracle,” he said.
Though they were still unable to embrace in person, Hoi moved closer to the TV screen, her arms wrapped around herself as if to hug her son through the screen. Arthur gazed at his mother’s face and remarked on their striking resemblance.
Her first words to her son after 31 years were ones of deep gratitude to his adoptive parents in France, who had raised and loved him all these years.
The Frenchman, who had stayed up all night waiting for the news, was overcome with emotion. “I want to return to Vietnam as soon as possible to hold my mother. Thank you, Mum.”
Holding back tears, Hoi told her son that this was the moment she had always dreamed of but never dared hope for. She urged him to take care of his health, focus on work, and return to Vietnam when the time was right.
Arthur shared that his family in France greatly appreciated this long-awaited reunion and looked forward to meeting his Vietnamese mother soon.
Hoi stayed close to the screen throughout the conversation, wiping away tears. She recounted her pregnancy and how she had been hospitalised due to complications. Though she longed to raise her son, she feared that keeping him would bring him hardship. She ultimately made the heartbreaking decision to give him up for adoption, one that haunted her for decades.
“I never imagined that thanks to Dantri’s help, I would find my son again. The greatest joy for me is knowing he’s healthy and has grown into a fine man,” she said.
“I still feel like I’m dreaming,” she added. “For all these years, I’ve kept the hope that I would someday meet my son again.”
Looking ahead, Arthur said he plans to visit Vietnam in October.
“I hope to make short documentaries to understand Vietnam better and help others in France learn more about my roots. I want to start a new chapter here, not just as a visitor, but as someone who will live and work in Vietnam.”
Arthur also said he now fully understands how difficult the decision must have been for his mother. He thanked her for giving him life and the courage to entrust him to another family, a decision he believes was made out of love and ultimately helped shape him into the man he is today.
He also thanked Huynh Tan Sinh, a member of a reunion organisation for adoptees in France, for supporting him from the start of his search.
He expressed deep gratitude to Dantri and the Vietnamese community for helping him reconnect with his birth mother.
Just one month earlier, Arthur Chareire, whose Vietnamese name is Vu Van Dau, shared his life story with Dantri, hoping to find his biological mother.
Nguyen Thi Hoi came forward after recognising key details in the article and shared her own story of giving up a newborn for adoption in 1994.
She expressed her wish to undergo a DNA test in hopes of being reunited with her long-lost son.
After Dantri made the connection, Arthur quickly sent samples of his hair and fingernails to Vietnam for testing.
Speaking to Dantri, Hoi said, “After reading the article, my heart was racing. When I saw his face, I strongly believed he must be my son. Now, in the twilight of my life, there’s nothing more I wish for than to be with him again.”
