Blind woman in tears after paraplegic offers her his eye
published : 7 Jun 2018 at 15:22
writer: Gregory Morrissey
ORIGINAL SOURCE/WRITER: Surachai Piragsa
A poor, blind woman left to take care of her 15-month son alone was brought to tears by the kind intentions of a paralysed 59-year-old stranger, who offered to donate one of his eyes to her.
Sunisa Moongruayklang, 26, of Ban Klanta in tambon Krasang of Muang district in Buri Ram, said she received the offer recently from Payap Rodmuang, 59, a paraplegic from Chachoengsao province.
Mr Payap spends most of his time in bed at his house in Phanom Sarakham district. He learned of Ms Sunisa's plight on Facebook and called her on his phone. He told her he wanted to donate one of his eyes to her, so she could again see people and the world around her.
Ms Sunisa, who lives in a rusty shack with galvanised iron walls with her toddler son, said she was so emotionally affected by the offer from a complete stranger that the tears just rolled down her cheeks. She felt such gratitude.
She admitted she had been very down and wanted to end her life after losing her sight. If she ever could see again she would be sure to visit Mr Payap at his home to thank him for the offer.
Mr Payap said he felt sympathy for her plight and wanted to do something to help her. He has been confined to his bed for more than 20 years and felt his eye would be useful for her.
Ms Sunisa lost vision in both her eyes after working at an iron smelter for seven years. Her husband had left her to enter the monkhood and she had been struggling ever since to take care of their child.
She relies on her 800-baht monthly allowance for the disabled and a 300 baht state welfare card for the poor.
Her hardship came to public attention after a neighbour posted her story on Facebook. Public donations have been pouring in and now top 1.4 million baht.
Ms Sunisa said she would use some of money to build a more secure house that could protect her and her child from the weather. Part of the money would also be put aside for the education of her son and to take care of her mother.
She expressed her gratitude to all the donors and state agencies for helping free her from suffering and hardship.
Despite Mr Payap's kindly offer, eye transplants are not yet surgically possible.
Learn from listening
Vocabulary
- donate (verb): to allow doctors to remove blood or a body organ in order to help somebody who needs it - บริจาค
- galvanised (adj): (of metal) covered with zinc in order to protect it from rust - ปกคลุมด้วยสังกะสี
- gratitude: a feeling of being grateful to someone because they have given you something or have done something for you - ความรู้สึกขอบคุณ
- paraplegic: somebody who suffers from paralysis in the legs and lower body -
- plight: an unpleasant condition, especially a serious, sad or difficult one - สภาพเลวร้าย
- rusty: covered in the rough red substance that damages the surface of iron and steel - เป็นสนิม
- shack: a very simple and small building made from pieces of wood, metal or other materials - กระท่อม
- sympathy: a natural feeling of kindness and understanding that you have for someone who is experiencing something very unpleasant - ความเห็นอกเห็นใจ
- transplant: a medical operation in which a damaged organ, etc. is replaced with one from another person - การปลูกถ่าย
- welfare: help given, especially by the state or an organization, to people who need it; good care and living conditions - สวัสดิการ
