Toan posts this story from the field about the progress of our young friend, Nghia. You can read more about Nghia here.

One day in August 2005, I received a phone call from the Medical Liaison in Hue informed that Nghia wanted to have prosthetics legs. We CPI staff were very happy with this good news…

I came to visit Nghia on a weekend day August 27^th at his house in Hue. Seeing him sitting on the wheelchair outside the house, he looked so relaxed with a smile on his face when he saw me. He looked great and a bit fatter compared to 3 months ago. As a new school year is coming, I brought him a box with CPI logo, in which there are several stuff like pen, eraser, etc and asked him if he was ready to get back. He seemed very excited in answering me: “Yes, I want to go back to school this year. I have missed my classmates and teachers a lot but I have to delay this for some time”. He then smiled at Son, the Medical Liaison, with a shy look “I went to Hue Central Hospital on August 24^th for checking if I can wear prosthetic legs. It is good that the doctor said yes. And I have my legs measured already. I may have it in 10 days. I then need to stay in the hospital for a month to practise. I am longing for that from now”.

I could see his eyes twinked with the light of happiness. In fact, he had changed a lot in his spirit. From being upset and depressed after in uxo accident in March, the smile is now quite often in his face. His voice is also now more clearer and stronger. He told me that he really wanted to use the prosthetics which would help him walk a bit at first. Even though it is not real legs, he could be more confident in standing on his own legs instead of the wheelchair.