Day 4
Today was a long day. We started at 7:15 a.m. and traveled
over 2 hours to get to Bac Son district for 2 home deliveries of wheelchairs. The home visits were so interesting. We delivered a wheelchair to Thuc, who had a stroke and is paralyzed on her left side. Thuc is 74. She spends most of her time in bed. Her husband, Mgan, has to physically carry her to the bathroom. It is getting difficult for him as he is aging and his back is hurting. Thuc and Mgan live in a small one room cement home on the edge of the road. Thuc is able to look out a grated, open air window next to her bed. Besides the window there is just an open doorway to let in light. Thuc and Mgan welcome us all into their house. One of us help Thuc to sit up in bed as she tells us (through our wonderful interpreter An) her story. Tears well up in her eyes as she talks about how grateful she is and how the wheelchair will make it so much easier for her husband to care for her. It was interesting and intriguing to learn that Mgan was a decorated officer for the opposite side during the Vietnam war. His recognition awards were proudly displayed over his bed, opposite Thuc's bed. The Vietnam war is one of the reasons I titled this blog series "Time Heals". Forty-five years ago we fought as bitter enemies. Time has helped us all heal and work instead on helping those in need and welcoming us into their homes. Who would have thought 45-50 years ago that we would be sharing these kinds of experiences! At the second recipient's home I assisted in assembling a wheelchair. In the afternoon we did a mass distribution with a lot of ceremony at the wheelchair distribution center.
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| Thuc and me |
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| Thuc's homefront |
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| Thuc in her new chair |
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| Assembling a wheelchair |
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| How they live |
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| Thuc and Mgan |
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