Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy is 27-years old. When she was very young, Thuy suffered from a paralytic fever and lost the use of both her legs. She never had the chance to run and play with the other children, and spend most of her younger childhood waiting to be picked up and carried.

“When I was 13 years old, I learned to use a stick and was able to stand up for several minutes. I kept practicing, and taught myself to walk short distances with my stick.”

The oldest of eight children, Thuy was born into a very poor family. Her parents are farmers and work very hard, but their income is dependent upon the crops and some years have been very lean. When they can afford it, her parents have tried to accommodate her disability with splints which help her to move around; in recent years though with the bad harvest, there has been no extra money for this luxury. Thuy has continued to use her stick to move around the house a bit, but does not have enough strength to go more than a few steps. She is unable to help with the farming, and has no means to help earn money for the family. 

“I wish I could do something,” Thuy said with a voice full of sorrow. “I am a burden to my family.”

When she received her wheelchair, Thuy was overjoyed. She always dreamed of having a wheelchair of her own, but the expense was far beyond her family’s ability. 

“The first thing I want to do is to find a way to serve my family, to try to thank them for all the years they have cared for me,” she said. “I’ll be able to help in the kitchen, all by myself I will ladle rice into bowls for our meal,” she said, with broad smile across her face.

“Thank you so much,” she said. “I can finally be a full member of my family. I never imagined such a gift!”