Ha Nam (VNS/VNA) - Tran Quang Dung, 36, hasbeen paralysed since an illness when he was two years old. But he has not onlysurvived and thrived with his disability - he has also provided support todisadvantaged people thanks in part to a cherished role model.

Dung, from the northern province of HaNam’s Duy Tiên district, said his childhood was spent inside his house,watching friends who were the same age go to school and play. Recalling thepast time, he felt sad and couldn’t hold back tears.

Though Dung’s grandfather was a well-knownherbalist and the best medicine had been applied for him, his condition did notimprove.

One day, he was told the story of teacher NguyenNgoc Ky who suffered paralysis in both arms after illness as a child. Againstall odds, Ky became a good student and taught himself to write with his feet.He triumphed in his career as an educator. He was granted the title of“Meritorious Teacher” in 1992.

Encouraged by Ky’s example, Dung asked hisparents to let him go to school. But his dream of learning was quickly put offas he felt terrible pain in his legs after attending school for a week.

Traditional medicine family

When he was 16 years old, taking advantageof his family’s traditional herbal medicine practices, he started to learnabout traditional medicine with the desire to become a good herbalist so thathe could heal people’s illness and earn a living at the same time.

In 2002, upon hearing the news that theVietnam Traditional Medicine Association opened a training course in hishometown, he immediately registered to attend and became the only student withdisabilities in the class.

“One of my biggest disadvantages is that Icouldn’t go to school like others at the same age,” he said.

Dung’s parents bought textbooks and taughthim by themselves. Later, they invited some tutors to help him with learning.

“Because I didn’t enter university, Isearched for information on health, science and technology on the internet togain more knowledge,” he said.

After a long period of self-learning, withknowledge handed down from his grandparents and with help from his family, Dungdecided to open a clinic on traditional medicine.

“At first, the clinic received nocustomers”, he said, saying that he was too young and his disability might havemade customers wary.

But gradually he gained their trust as hewas always enthusiastic to help the poor and those who shared hiscircumstances.

Now, the clinic has become famous due tothe efficacy of its methods. Local residents and people from neighbouringprovinces knew about the clinic through word of mouth, he said.

Recognising the hardship of the disabled, Dungset up a project to establish the Association of People with Disabilities in HaNam province in 2005. It was one of the first provincial-level associations forpeople with disabilities in the country.

After many efforts, on August 19, 2006, theAssociation of People with Disabilities in Ha Nam province held its firstmeeting and Dung was elected chairman of the association.

Up to now, all six districts and towns ofthe province have set up the Association of People with Disabilities with theparticipation of over 1,000 members.

As chairman of the association, Dung isdirectly involved in the dissemination of the International Convention on theRights of People with Disabilities and policies related to people withdisabilities, funded by the Danish Government for 2017-2020 period. The purposeof this activity is to promote the equity and full integration of people withdisabilities in the development of society.

For Dung, the biggest happiness of his lifeis to see people recover from illness.

"I’m not lucky since I was born. I wasparalysed so I understand the problems patients suffered.”

“All of my work is aimed at helping thosein need, especially the ones who are in similar circumstances. For an herbalistlike me, healing human wounds is my happiness as for me saving people meanssaving ourselves. "

Dung also expressed his hope that more attentionwould be paid for people with disabilities in terms of vocational training andemployment with a view to improve their living conditions and help them easilyintegrate with society. - VNA