The story of a war invalid "Disabled but not useless"

(Baonghean) - Visiting war invalid Dinh Van Canh in block 3, Dien Chau town, witnessing him moving nimbly with both hands on two plastic chairs, and then working hard on a pile of mechanical tools to make reverse gears for modified motorbikes for the disabled, we truly admire the extraordinary will and determination of this war invalid.

His life was like a fairy tale with a happy ending. After 4 years of fighting in the Cambodian battlefield, border guard Dinh Van Canh returned to Vietnam with his legs amputated above the thighs due to landmines during the attack on the last Khmer Rouge base. From Hospital 115 Saigon, he was transferred to the 200th Convalescent Unit, and in 1984, to the Nghe An Convalescent Center for Seriously Invalid Soldiers.



War invalid Dinh Van Canh.

The turning point in his life was the meeting with his fellow countrywoman Pham Thi Lai, his current life partner, during a visit and socializing with friends. Sympathizing and sharing the situation of a soldier returning from the war, she agreed to marry him, when he was 37 years old.

Married in 1993, it was not until 2007 that he had the opportunity to leave the War Invalids Nursing Center to live with his family in the locality. Four children were born one after another, and the economic burden fell on his wife. Understanding that, he always thought of ways to increase the family's income, doing many jobs, even selling fabric at the market.

With the mechanical knowledge he learned during his military service, with parts such as shock absorbers, rims, gears, etc., he tried to find a way to assemble a reverse gear for a 3-wheeled vehicle for the disabled. After 5 months, he finally succeeded, not only did he travel conveniently but he could also help his wife carry goods.

Many disabled people inside and outside the province heard about him and came to him for help, including people from Thuong Tin (Ha Tay). Not only did he modify 3-wheel motorbikes with reverse gears, he later also made manual wheelchairs, rocking cars, and 3-wheel electric cars that could use electricity and hand cranks for the disabled.

Since 1990, he has made about 150 vehicles of all kinds, "both to earn extra income and to help people in similar situations have means of transportation, improve their lives, integrate into the community and become useful people". For those in difficult circumstances, he mainly supports them, only taking money for materials, not wages. In addition to his mechanical career, he also helps his wife run a beer and soft drink distribution agency and a restaurant with an average income of about 100 million VND after expenses. The current property on National Highway 1A was built by him and his wife from scratch, from determination and sympathy, sharing... Writing a fairy tale in real life, Dinh Van Canh was honored to receive a Certificate of Merit from the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs for policy beneficiaries who have overcome difficulties to achieve outstanding achievements in work, study and work.

Khanh Ly