The innocent yet confused child sat snuggled in her comfort of her new companion- the wheelchair of her very own. Her uncertainty was obvious as she fiddled with the handles of the new gadget. It was hard to believe that the child facing me was 14-year-old adolescent, Nguyen Thi Dung. Since birth, she suffered from quadriplegia and is unable to express herself nor move around on her own.
Sitting patiently next to her was an aged middle-aged woman, who wore a sad expression. She shared her challenges taking care of her disabled child, “When she was a little gal, I could still manage and carry her around the house. But now, she has grown bigger and is too heavy for me to carry her. I can’t even lift her off the bed on my own, so I have no choice but leave her in the home all the time.”
Sensing her daughter’s apprehension at the Wheelchair Donation Ceremony, she explained, “It has been a long time since Dung has stepped out of the house and she is not used to seeing so many people.
Dung lives with her parents and her grandmother at sector 7, village 3, Quang Khe commune, Thanh Hoa, Vietnam. Her loving grandmother turns 80 this year and is deeply grateful for the brand-new wheelchair. Since the very first mention of the wheelchair gift to her granddaughter, the old lady has been talking it and reminding the family repeatedly to thank the donors for this invaluable gift. “With the new wheelchair, I would be able to bring her out for evening strolls with the grandmother,” said Dung’s mother.
Dung was still seated in her new wheelchair, looking at us intently as we spoke. Looking into her eyes, I knew she understood.
This wheelchair would definitely create a positive impact in this young lady’s life and lighten the burden on her family. I turned to look at Dung’s mother and saw renewed hope and joy in her once helpless eyes.
Written by Thuy Linh, edited by Dorothy Ng
Sitting patiently next to her was an aged middle-aged woman, who wore a sad expression. She shared her challenges taking care of her disabled child, “When she was a little gal, I could still manage and carry her around the house. But now, she has grown bigger and is too heavy for me to carry her. I can’t even lift her off the bed on my own, so I have no choice but leave her in the home all the time.”
Sensing her daughter’s apprehension at the Wheelchair Donation Ceremony, she explained, “It has been a long time since Dung has stepped out of the house and she is not used to seeing so many people.
Dung lives with her parents and her grandmother at sector 7, village 3, Quang Khe commune, Thanh Hoa, Vietnam. Her loving grandmother turns 80 this year and is deeply grateful for the brand-new wheelchair. Since the very first mention of the wheelchair gift to her granddaughter, the old lady has been talking it and reminding the family repeatedly to thank the donors for this invaluable gift. “With the new wheelchair, I would be able to bring her out for evening strolls with the grandmother,” said Dung’s mother.
Dung was still seated in her new wheelchair, looking at us intently as we spoke. Looking into her eyes, I knew she understood.
This wheelchair would definitely create a positive impact in this young lady’s life and lighten the burden on her family. I turned to look at Dung’s mother and saw renewed hope and joy in her once helpless eyes.
Written by Thuy Linh, edited by Dorothy Ng
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