(VOVWORLD) - For the past 20 years, despite his age and war injuries, doctor Le Thanh Do of Hanoi has dedicated himself to making prosthetic arms and legs for victims of horrible mishaps. Do turned a small space next to his home into a workshop and provides his services free to people in need.
 Dr. Le Thanh Do (R) provides consultation and guidance to a person with disabilities. (Photo: Nho Trung/VOV2) |
Trinh Cong Thap of Tuyen Quang province was the main breadwinner of his family. When he lost his leg in a work accident, his life became extremely difficult. Thap looked into getting a prosthetic leg several times, but the cost was beyond his family’s financial means. Fortunately, he found out about Dr. Do.
“I served in the army and returned home healthy, but later I had a work accident and had one leg amputated. That was nine years ago. After losing my leg, I could only take on odd jobs. I longed for a prosthetic leg but couldn’t afford one. When I received a prosthetic leg free of charge from Dr. Do, I was overjoyed. I can now work to take care of my family,” said Thap.
 The prosthetics workshop of Dr. Le Thanh Do is located in an alley on Minh Khai Street, Hanoi. (Photo: Nho Trung/VOV2) |
Like Thap, Dang Tien Quang of Tuyen Quang province would not have been able to get a prosthetic arm without full financial support.
“I had a traffic accident that shattered my wrist joint and my hand had to be amputated. That was more than 40 years ago. I thought about getting a prosthetic arm many times, but living in a remote area in difficult circumstances, I had to give up. Now that I have a prosthetic arm, I can use both hands to work again, which makes life much easier,” said Quang.
Dr. Do said that, as a war veteran with injuries himself, he understands and empathizes with people with disabilities.
“I lost part of my body, so I know the difficulties people with disabilities face. Many struggle with feelings of inferiority and low self-esteem. I’m fortunate, compared to my fallen comrades, to have returned home when the war ended, so I’ve always felt I should do something to help wounded comrades and Agent Orange victims,” said Do.
The cost of manufacturing a prosthetic limb is quite high. Despite his family’s modest means, Do has donated thousands of prosthetic devices to people with disabilities.
“I faced numerous obstacles when I tried to set up a proper workshop, particularly a lack of money to purchase equipment. One by one, I overcame these obstacles, using my disability allowance and pension. A major problem was the cost of raw materials. In the beginning, I had to seek support from friends. Later, I also received assistance from donors and charitable organizations,” he said.
Dr. Do’s efforts were supported by a number of skilled and experienced technicians as well as financial benefactors.
 Technician Tran Thu Nguyet (Photo: Nho Trung/VOV2) |
“Dr. Do is deeply committed to his work, and that inspired me to help him. I’m happy to be able to ease someone’s suffering,” said technician Tran Thu Nguyet.
Ly Minh Tuan, Director of the Thien Tam Foundation, said, “We’ve worked with Dr. Do for nearly five years, helping him provide prosthetic limbs to approximately 500 people, at a cost of more than 500,000 USD. We consistently encourage him to expand his activities and are ready to support his efforts with continued financial assistance.”