As Christmas Day draws near, we’re reminded that the greatest gift ever given to the world came to us as a child.

Giving It Back To Kids (GIBTK), our distribution partner in southern Vietnam, believes that every child is a gift and deserves an education. One of the children whom they’re serving is seven-year-old Ha Phuoc, a shy young man who has endured so much already: a typhoon took his father’s life at sea while he was still in the womb, leaving his mother traumatized, and she soon gave birth to Ha Phuoc, who has a disability that six orthopedic surgeries have not been able to correct.

GIBTK arranged to fit Ha Phuoc with a GEN_2 wheelchair earlier this year. His school then funded construction of a wheelchair-accessible ramp so that his mother, teachers, and friends could push his wheelchair in and out of his second-grade classroom more easily. The increased interaction with others has helped Ha Phuoc socialize more, boosting his confidence and self-esteem.

During class time, Ha Phuoc would sit at a regular table, but his feet would dangle as they could not rest on the floor. His teachers requested assistance from GIBTK to help overcome this challenge, so they had a local mechanic create an adjustable desktop that attaches to his GEN_2. Now, Ha Phuoc can study right in his wheelchair. He and his mother have expressed deep gratitude for the wheelchair/desk, which has become the most essential of his school supplies.

Ha Phuoc has greater opportunities for a brighter future thanks to our global partners, including you! Your prayers and generosity have blessed countless individuals and communities around the world. Would you give the gift of mobility– along with independence, dignity, and hope– this Christmas? There’s still time to send one of our Christmas cards, which includes a code that the recipient can use to designate where they’d like to send a free wheelchair.

Blessings,

Don Schoendorfer