At the age of two, Thinh developed an unknown illness that stunted the growth of the muscles and bones in her arms and legs. Her father, Giau, took Thinh from hospital to hospital in Vietnam, hoping to diagnose her condition but sadly, they were unable to find a cure for her.
Over the last fifteen years, Giau, 42 and his wife Thanh, 40, have watched their teenage daughter struggle with her movement every day.
“Since Thinh got sick, we have spent almost all the money we have, hoping that she can walk and grow like other children but unfortunately, she never could. Now, she is 16 and she still needs our help with her daily activities,” Giau said.
The family takes turns in carrying Thinh to places she needs to go, which includes the bathroom. However, as their home lacked a toilet, Thinh had to be carried several times a day to a makeshift toilet 20 meters away. Unsurprisingly, this is a physically exhausting and taxing on the family.
Giau works as a farmer and carpenter and his wife is a full time carer to Thinh and her two other siblings. With an unsteady income, they were unable to afford to build a sanitary toilet in their home.
Thankfully, your support has enabled Giau to build a new toilet next to their home. With the new toilet, the family can carry Thinh with greater ease and they can all benefit from improved sanitation and hygiene.
“Before we didn’t have a decent toilet,” said Giau. “Now it is much easier with a new toilet built next to our house. Thanks to Habitat for Humanity so much.”
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