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Wheel Chair Donations

Nguyen Van Minh

Minh, a tall young man, was accompanied to the ceremony by his mother and his brother. He could not balance on his own on the wheelchair. He greeted and smiled every time someone talked to him. Minh was paralyzed when he was 1 year old. He was born in the South, 2 years after his parents migrated to the new economic zone in 1981. He's the only child in the family with disability. "He requires care at all time," Minh's brother told me. "My younger sister is married and moved out and we don't have enough people to work on the field. My mom is too old to carry him, so I always have to help her. He's a big boy, you know." As we talked, Minh tried to speak something to me with a big smile. "He's greeting you. He can't speak very well, only our family understands what he tries to say, but Minh is very friendly. He has been staying at home most of the time because he's too big for us to carry around. He's very lonely. The loneliness in the house seems to increase his pain. Whenever there are visitors, he's very happy and the pain in his body seems to disappear. But everyone is busy with farming and work; they can't come around all the time." At this, Minh's mother, a woman in her mid fifties came over to join us. "He misses his sister after she left to her husband's house, but we can't take him there often. I'm getting older and taking care of him alone becomes much harder." Tears swelled up in her eyes as she talked and looked at Minh. "His brother is still single and hasn't had a job yet. He has to help me to take care of Minh." Minh's brother, Binh, is now 25. He wishes to work at the industrial zone as a guard or earn his living as a stone sculptor. But with the need and situation of his family, he has not yet able to pursue his plan. "Now with this wheelchair, I can take him around alone to free my older son. He needs more time to himself," continued Minh's mother. "Minh is very happy with this new chair. He likes it a lot. The first thing we'll do is taking him to his sister's house for a visit."

Binh told me that Minh is the only disable in the village that have not been approved for the disable pension of 65 000 VND per month because both his parents are able to work. But they could only earn enough to feed the family daily, leave alone buying a wheelchair and medical necessity for Minh. At the end of the ceremony, Minh's family was able to address their concerns and problems directly to the local officials. Their request was immediately granted approval from the provincial official. Minh and his mother left the ceremony on a trolley attached to Binh's motorcycle with the wheelchair tied behind. Big smiles stayed on their faces.

Phan Van Tu (age 36) was born with strangely big feet. People at the hospital said he has tumors. Tu doesn't work, not because he doesn't want to but because it's impossible for him to do even simple things like personal hygiene. Tu is married and has an 11 year-old boy who's in grade 5. Tu told us that when he wants to go out he needs two people to hold his arms and walk with him, and it is very difficult and uncomfortable. That's one of the reasons he has only rarely left his home in the last 36 years. He told us he stays inside most of the time because his wife has to work and his son is too young to help him.

"It feels very lonely sometimes being all by myself and I'm not used to having many people around me" said Tu. My family was really filled with excitement since we were told about the wheelchair. My wife and my son are really happy. They couldn't stop talking about the wheelchair we've been dreaming about for so long. Now with the wheelchair, I will be able to take better care of myself. I will also be able to visit my relatives and neighbors with my wife and my son without looking untidy. I will also go for walks with my son and spend more time with him"

Tu's face brightened when he told us about his plans.And when we told Tu he could continue to dream his dreams from now because of the wheelchair, his face turned red with emotions, it seems like after all those years of suffering, his tears had dried out. He then looked down at his feet, and I could see deep inside he was crying; crying with happy tears - tears of hopes for a new beginning.

Hoàng Duy Bot was paralysed since he was born in 1946. He was honored to give a speech on behalf of all beneficiaries at the ceremony. Bot didn’t need any paper or anything, all the words he said were from the bottom of his heart ”I’m very honored to be here today and to speak out loud my feelings on behalf of everyone here. I have been dreaming for a wheelchair for a long time, I never thought I would be lucky enough to get one. I don’t remember how many pair of crutches I used in my entire life but this is the best” Bot talked with a big smile. “ I never looked at myself as an useless person, I just couldn’t afford to buy a wheelchair. I wish there will be an annually event for people like me to gather and have a small party amongst us so we can encourage more handicapped people to be more confident but feel useless. Even though traveling around was a lot of work for me but I managed to be the accountant for my district for 10 years, it was all about getting out and being useful. Even though I’m 61 now but to me this wheelchair will be a new beginning and it gives me lots of hopes for a better life. A new life that I don’t have to depend on my family, my friends, my neighbors. A new life that I can do things I like independently” Bot also told us he knows he’s lucky to received this wheelchair but he know there’re many others are counting every hours like he used to for a wheelchair. ”It’s like a dream came true and to people like us this is the dream that can truly change our lives”.

I noticed Hoang Thi Nhung when we were sitting in the guests roll of the ceremony. She kept looking at us with a big smile on her face.

Nhung is a victim of Agent Orange, she was born with atrophied legs and hands.” I dropped out of school since grade 5 because my family was struggling for food, so nobody had time to take me to school, it’s been 8 years now” Nhung told me, and even though it’s very difficult for Nhung to talk, in her voice I could see she’s a strong and intelligent girl. “I want to talk about many things but I get tired if I talk a lot” Nhung smiled with me. Nhung’s father died in 1993 and left behind heavy burdens on Nhung’s mother’s shoulders with two daughters and one son.” Since I stopped school, I only sit at home. I wish someday I can go to school again and play with my friends like I used to. I was very sad to sit at home and feel like I’m the burden to the family” Nhung cried. When I asked her who she would see first of all when she comes back, her face was so bright, she wiped her tears and said” My best friend Phuong!!” I was wondering why Phuong but not someone else and Nhung explained” Because Phuong always come to my house and I feel bad to depend on her , but with the wheelchair I can come over to hang out with her now and we can even go out together. I’m independent now”. Nhung biggest wish right now is to be back in school to continue her study and join her friends, even though her old friends are in high schools now but she doesn’t mind. “I don’t know what job is suitable for me because I’m not so strong. My dream job is to become a writer, to write stories for everyone. Especially for people like me to encourage them” Nhung said with the biggest smile as she looked at me and held my hand.