On September 17, he and his mother, Nguyen Thi Hoi, visited Dantri/Dtinews’ newsroom to express their gratitude for helping them reconnect.
Editor-in-chief of Dantri/Dtinews Pham Tuan Anh (left) congratulates Arthur Chareire and his mother Nguyen Thi Hoi during their visit to the newspaper's office on September 17.
Four months earlier, Arthur had reached out to Dtinews, seeking to find his birth mother in Vietnam. After his story was published, Hoi came forward, and DNA tests in May confirmed their mother-son relationship.
This is Arthur’s first time in Vietnam. Initially, he planned to visit in November, but excitement led him to book an earlier flight. The young filmmaker said that being embraced by his mother and feeling the warmth of family for the first time was deeply emotional.
“Finding my mother is a turning point in my life. I imagined many scenarios, but never thought the reunion would be this special. This Sunday, our family will celebrate in the village to welcome me home,” he said.
Arthur and his mother watch a video clip about their story on Dantri/Dtinews.
Arthur plans to spend three weeks with his mother before beginning a motorbike journey across northern Vietnam. In November, his adoptive parents from France will join him in Hanoi for a three-week stay, marking another family reunion.
“When I was adopted in 1994, my adoptive mother travelled alone to Hanoi, without a chance to explore Vietnam. This time, she wants to experience more,” he said.
During the coming Lunar New Year, Arthur plans to stay in Hanoi with his mother. He also intends to remain in Vietnam in the long term, pursuing a career in filmmaking, photography, and video editing.
Arthur thanked Dtinews for playing a crucial role in his journey. His adoptive family and friends in France closely followed his story, and many were moved to tears.
Hoi said nothing was more precious than reuniting with her son after more than three decades apart, expressing heartfelt gratitude to Dtinews.
The family thank Dtinews for playing a crucial role in their reunion.
Pham Tuan Anh, editor-in-chief of Dtinews, congratulated the family, saying their story reflected Arthur’s determination to trace his roots. “Dtinews is honoured to have served as a bridge, helping Arthur share his longing to reunite with his mother after years of separation,” he said.
Arthur’s search began with a chance encounter on a bus in Switzerland, where he met a Vietnamese adoptee who had successfully found her family. Inspired, he revisited his old adoption records and posted his details in online groups for adoptees, though with little progress.
Born Vu Van Dau on August 19, 1994, at Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi, Arthur’s birth certificate listed his mother as Nguyen Thi Hoi of Duong Xa Commune, Gia Lam District. He was later adopted by a French family and given his current name.
The breakthrough came after Dtinews published his story. A family in Hanoi contacted the newsroom, recognising the details, and Hoi herself came forward to confirm. She explained that, in hardship, she had let her son be adopted in hopes of giving him a better life.
Arthur said seeing Hoi’s face for the first time left him certain she was his mother. DNA tests soon confirmed it. “That moment was overwhelming. After years of loneliness and trauma, I finally fulfilled my wish of finding my roots,” he said.
