From refugee to doctor: U of A alumna recognized by Alumni Honour Award

At five-years-old, Dr. Nhung Tran-Davies and her family were forced to flee their homeland of Vietnam because of war and widespread poverty. They spent eight months in Malaysia, awaiting word until they heard that a church group in Edmonton was willing to sponsor their family.

Upon arrival in Edmonton, her mother faced an uncertain future. With only “a dollar in her pocket” and six children to care for in an unfamiliar city, the challenge seemed overwhelming. But a small act of kindness changed everything. At the gates of Edmonton International Airport, a little girl approached young Dr. Tran-Davies and gave her a doll. 

That simple gesture, Dr. Tran-Davies remarked, planted the seed of service in her heart, and a desire to pay forward the kindness her family had received as refugees.

Her mother, having endured the hardships of war, understood the power of education. She told her children, “people can take everything from you, but they cannot take away your education.” 

Working three jobs at a time to support her children’s schooling, she instilled in Dr. Tran-Davies the values of hard work and resilience. Driven by a desire to help others, Dr. Tran-Davies pursued medicine. Despite being rejected from medical school twice, she never gave up on her goal.

Dr. Tran-Davies shares motivations behind her charity

The idea for her charity, Children of Vietnam Benevolent Foundation, emerged while she was studying medicine. In 2000, during her third-year elective, she returned to Vietnam, where she witnessed the lingering devastation of the war. The country was still struggling to rebuild, with no reliable access to hot water, limited food, and widespread poverty.

She recalled how her “heart was broken” seeing children in Vietnam, whom she considered her little brothers and sisters, working hard just to survive while she had been given the privilege of a better life in Canada.

She explained that the charity was inspired by all the disadvantaged children who never had the opportunities that she and other refugees had been fortunate to find in Canada. That vision eventually led her to gather a group of friends to help her establish the foundation in 2013.

Over the years, their efforts have built schools for children in remote areas, constructed bridges to help children safely cross rivers, provided scholarships to allow students to finish their education, supported orphanages with food and basic necessities, and delivered bicycles, wheelchairs, and hearing aids to children in need. On average, the foundation raises between $50,000–60,000 each year.

Dr. Tran-Davies emphasizes that this work has only been possible “with the help of the community,” because she believes no one can do it alone.

Dr. Tran-Davis “deeply humbled and honoured” by Alumni Honour Award

When asked what the Alumni Honour Award means to her, Dr. Tran-Davies said she felt “deeply humbled and honoured” to be recognized. She said she cried because she was so moved, especially to be acknowledged alongside so many other inspiring individuals.

Dr. Tran-Davies now practices in the small town of Calmar, Alberta, where she is able to build lasting relationships with her patients. She loves being part of her community and says that small-town practice has always been her goal since graduating from medical school.

In her free time, she writes children’s books because, as she puts it, “they are our future and they will make the world a better place.”

Despite her many accomplishments, Dr. Tran-Davies says her work is simply about meeting the needs she sees around her. Whether through medicine, philanthropy, or writing, her guiding purpose has remained the same since that moment at the Edmonton airport when a child handed her a doll: to serve others and to give back the kindness that once gave her hope.