Panin, above, was one of 550 people who received a new wheelchair at a distribution in Laos.

LAOS – Watching her friends come and go as they please was hard enough. Not being able to join them was even harder.

For Panin who lives in a small village in Laos, enjoying life with her friends was almost impossible. The six-year-old girl was confined to spaces where she could crawl.

"The saddest part of being disabled is not being able to walk as good as the other people do," Paninl said. "I have to crawl to get around."

Being stricken with polio confined Panin to her home. With little use of her legs, she could barely stand, much less, walk. Her parents were forced to carry her whenever she needed to leave her house.

Life changed for Panin thanks to a partnership among Free Wheelchair Mission, the Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare of Laos and Operation Blessing.

OBI distributed a total of 550 wheelchairs among several villages, helping people of all ages including wounded soldiers, those paralyzed by accidents and others suffering from side effects of polio.

"This wheelchair will change my life because now it will be easier for me to go here and there by myself," Panin said. "It will help my family because they will not need to carry me when I want to go out."

In 2007, OBI helped distribute more than 1,300 wheelchairs to people in need around the world.

HOW YOU CAN HELP
Be a part of OBI's ongoing medical relief efforts by making an online contribution to help those suffering from extreme poverty and sickness.

 

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