Thanh lives in the hills of northern Vietnam, where craggy rock formations jut through lush green rice fields to rip a jagged skyline.
He was born there 65 years ago. There, he met a lovely woman named Nhung. They got married, had two children, and made a living as farmers.
Last year, Thanh suffered a stroke that left him with paralysis on his right side. He can no longer speak, and he is barely able to swallow food anymore.
Nhung has been doing all the farming on her own ever since. Their two children are unable to help, having moved to different regions in order to find work.
Nhung splits her time between laboring in the rice fields and taking care of Thanh. Before she leaves for work, Nhung ties her husband to his bed to make sure that he doesn’t fall out and hurt himself.
As she told us this story, Thanh began to weep.
Our distribution partner in Vietnam, working in tandem with local authorities, invited Thanh to a wheelchair distribution ceremony, where he was fitted with a new GEN_3 wheelchair.
Then, it was Nhung’s turn to break into tears.
“Thank you very much for supporting us in our difficulties,” said Nhung in a quivering voice, expressing sincere gratitude with a two-handed handshake. “Now my husband can get around in a wheelchair.”
Because of friends like you, Thanh is no longer strapped to his bed, and Nhung can have more peace of mind when she leaves the house to do the work that supports them both.
Thank you for making an impact on lives like Thanh’s and Nhung’s.
