CityNews – On April 9th at the small rural community of Oye near Phayao, 30 wheelchairs were donated to disabled persons by the Foundation to Encourage the Potential of Disabled Persons headed by Don Willcox and Piranan Singjai.
The disabled included a 78 and 79 year old couple who had survived strokes; a prone colostomy patient living at home; a severely retarded 33 year old woman cared only by her grandmother; a diabetic amputee; a young woman who could previously only crawl; a 95 year old woman with Parkinson’s; and a Yao minority gentleman who lives alone and cares for himself although he cannot walk.
This community is located in a tobacco and corn raising area northeast of Chiang Mai about a 4 hour one-way drive. Most of the houses were older traditional teak farm houses. This is yet another rural community that seems to be mostly off the radar as far as government support. During the months of March and April the organisation has already delivered more than 200 wheelchairs.