A Vietnamese woman’s trip to Turkey became a love story. Nguyen Thi Thu Ngan left her home to help a man who had just lost his mother, and the visit later turned into marriage.

In summer 2018, Ngan, born in 1991 in Can Tho, downloaded a dating app to practice English. Through the app she met Sonat KayaHan, a man her age from Balikesir, Turkey. She learned that Sonat’s mother had lung cancer and that he cared for her alone.

Sonat’s mother died in April 2019. Two weeks after his mother’s death, Ngan traveled alone more than 7,000 km to Turkey to comfort him. Both families thanked her, and with their support the couple married in April 2021.

Ngan now lives in Balikesir. She says the family shows great care, such as a Turkish hand‑kiss greeting, and that her husband respects her Buddhist practice by buying lamps and candles for her altar.