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A Story Of Friendship, Hope and Mobility

David Behring, the President of Wheelchair Foundation, tells a brief story of how meeting a young wheelchair recipient in Vietnam has turned into a lifetime friendship.
Mr. David Behring with Tran Nghia in 2003

Tran Nghia was a 17 year old high school girl in Hanoi when I first met her.  She had been born with a neurological disorder that never allowed her to use her legs.  She was always carried by her parents, siblings and friends.  I was introduced to Nghia and her family at a wheelchair distribution in Hanoi in 2003.  I was immediately captivated by her smile and enthusiasm and, through a translator, found out that she wanted to study English and go to medical school to become a doctor.

She invited me to her home for tea on my next visit to Vietnam which actually occurred one year later.  At that meeting we learned much more about each other and stayed in touch through e-mail and Facebook during the next 8 years.  Nghia unfortunately could not become a doctor due to her disability but she did learn English and translates documents for a Vietnamese company.

In November of this year I returned to Vietnam with a dozen veterans and their spouses.  I arranged to meet Nghia and her mom at our Hanoi distribution.  It was definitely one of my trip highlights when I glanced over from the podium and saw the two them walking into the distribution.  Her smile was as radiant as I remembered it back in 2003. I immediately stopped my speech and introduced our personal story to the audience.  She met the veterans, was interviewed by a television station and made a short speech of her own about how the wheelchair had impacted her life.  It is always a joy to give someone a wheelchair and it is an even greater joy to personally watch and hear how that wheelchair improved their life.

Hanoi Wheelchair Distribution with Mr. David Behring and Tran Nghia
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Wheelchair Foundation, the Vietnam Veterans of Diablo Valley, California and East Meets West Foundation visit Vietnam

WCF, the VVDV, and EMW present wheelchairs to para athletes and others.

In November of 2012, Wheelchair Foundation, the Vietnam Veterans of Diablo Valley, California and East Meets West Foundation partnered together to distribute 260 All Terrain Wheelchairs and 60 Basketball and Tennis Sports Wheelchairs throughout the country of Vietnam.

On November 9th, 2012, Wheelchair Foundation, the Vietnam Veterans of Diablo Valley, and East Meets West presented 40 wheelchairs to para athletes and others at NHIP CAU Foundation in the An Khanh Ward, Ninh Kieu District,  Can Tho City, Vietnam. We spent time with swimmers, track and field participants and others, as well as members of the community simply in need of mobility.  Ms. Van Ly, Regional Communications and Development Manager, East Meets West, attended with staff. Mr. Hung, Head of Social Protection Division, Department of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs (DOLISA).

November 10th, 2012:  We paid a visit to the Thien An Social Protection Institution in Can Tho, Vietnam, an orphanage which returning members of the Vietnam Veterans of Diablo Valley had contributed to in 2006. We were greeted and entertained by incredibly beautiful children.

A visit to Can Tho Thien, a social protection institution. Hank Fanger and one of the girls.

November 12th:  We distributed sports wheelchairs and All Terrain wheelchairs in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Jerry Yahiro John Reese David Behring Rich Lambert w sports chair

Seen here Jerry Yahiro, John Reese, Wheelchair Foundation President David Behring and Richard Lambert of the Vietnam Veterans of Diablo Valley.

November 14th: In Quang Tri Province, we distributed sports and standard wheelchairs to athletes and others in conjunction with the monthly INSPIRE Sports Exchange event, where persons with disabilities throughout Quang Tri Province gather to participate and compete in various sports (badmitton, basketball, ping-pong, tug of war, etc.) in Ward 5 of Dong Ha City. This was also the event to officially announce the Inclusive Sports Clubs or the city’s Ward 5.

Following the wheelchair distribution we visited East Meets Wests’ clean water system in Cam Thuy Commune, Cam Lo District, about 30 minutes outside of Dong Ha City.  We were joined by Ms. Tam, Deputy Director for Water and Sanitation, and Mr. Mark Conroy, EMW Senior Advisor.

November 16th:  In Hanoi we distributed 48 wheelchairs (18 sports wheelchair for the Hanoi  Disability Sports Club, and 30 to individuals) at the Hanoi Sports and Cultural Center .  Mr. Vu The Phiet, Vice Chairman and General Secretary of the Vietnam Paralympic Association,   Ms. Minh Thu, Program Development Director, East Meets West.

Wheelchairs for the Hanoi Distribution

VVDV asked that three wheelchairs be donated to representatives from the Ninh Binh Social Support Center , Nam Binh, Ninh Binh Province, which houses 37 orphan children ranging from younger than five years old to High School age children.

November 17th: Hai Phong, Vietnam.  20 wheelchairs (sport and standard) distributed to recipients at the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.  Six Sports Wheelchairs were donated to the Hai Phong Disability Sports Club, 10 Standard Wheelchairs were given to individual recipients.

Hai Phong Wheelchair Distribution Group.

Visit our Facebook page by clicking here and see more photos of this amazing distribution.

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Fundraising for Fiji

Eight-year-old Salamisa Vunilagi, Junior couldn’t stop smiling. He’s dreamed of one thing every day for as long as he can remember, and today, his dream finally came true.

Junior’s new wheelchair.

When Junior was an infant, he was diagnosed with meningitis, and the disease soon crippled him. Junior’s parents, Salamisa, Sr. and Vani Mainukulau, did everything they could, even trekking from their rural home to the nearest city of Labasa, in hopes of finding a cure for his paralyzed condition. They were broken-hearted to learn that nothing could be done. As each birthday passed, Junior remained completely dependent on his mother and father – while dreaming each day of independence. No longer a dream, Junior received a gift that changed the lives of the entire family – a new wheelchair.

This special delivery was made possible by the Wheelchair Foundation, along with the Rotary Club of Labasa, as part of the Vodafone “World of Difference” initiative undertaken by the ACATA Trust Fiji to provide assistance to the physically challenged. A total of 110 wheelchairs were presented to the Red Cross, the Spinal Injury Association, and other distribution partners over the course of 10 days, and one man in particular played a significant role in the success of this effort.

“This will give them mobility to move around and be productive and they do not have to depend on others. My message to them is to use the wheelchairs wisely.”
-Chetan Singh Heyer

Chetan (Chet) Singh Heyer is a native of Fiji, and his heart reaches out to the people living with disabilities in his homeland. During his visit to the country in 2010, Chet was alarmed by the overwhelming number of citizens in need of wheelchairs. He returned to the United States determined to make a difference in the lives of his island people, and became Founder and President of the fundraising project Fiji Wheelchairs.

Chet and his family aspired to bring the gift of mobility to their fellow Fijians, and with the help of the Wheelchair Foundation, the Singh Heyers were able to achieve their kind-hearted goal.

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