Paralyzed Boy In Central Java Wishes For a Wheelchair
Sumardiyono | February 18, 2010
12-year-old Untung wants to go to school and have a wheelchair so that his paralysis will not hold him back. (JG Photo) Related articles
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359369Thanks WebEd! :) We look forward to reading the newest update on Untung.
Oops, I mean sweetTOOTH13 :)
Here's the latest from the radio station, in Indonesian. We'll have a story up soon, perhaps over the weekend. (@sweettoth13: I reposted this on your behalf because our web layout did not like the long URL. Thanks for the update!)
Masmon2, we would love photos! I will email you my address. Thanks!
I have today received photographs from Achmad Cholidi of Untung with his new wheelchair. The smile on his face says it all. If anybody would like copies then I would be happy to send them. JG I would be happy to forward the pictures to you.
I am sure that more help is needed, so anybody wishing to donate can feel confident that their money will get through to the intended recipient.
Untung Budi Lestari, 12, had been paralyzed since he was born. Poverty-stricken, his parents could not afford to provide medical treatment or send him to school. Despite his condition, the Chelsea fan still dreamed of going to school and having a wheelchair.
Untung lives in a modest house in Pati, a small town in Central Java with his parents and his two siblings. His mother, Suharni, said that Untung was born prematurely when she was eight months pregnant. The family learned that their second son was paralyzed when he was three months old. He could not move his legs or his hands at all.
Untung is just one of many Indonesians living in poverty with a disability.
His father, Sudiyono, does not have a permanent job. He makes a living by running errands or doing odd jobs.
“I’ve always wanted to take Untung to the doctors who could give him therapy so that his legs could get better but I can’t afford it. I only make Rp 25,000 ($ 2.68) a day,” Sudiyono said.
Even though Untung has never attended school he has a strong drive to learn. He loves soccer and every day he would ask his siblings to tell him stories about the world outside his home.
“My favorite team is Chelsea, they have good players like Ballack. I love my family and my dream is to have a wheelchair so I won’t have to bother my mother so much,” Untung said. His other biggest wish was to be able to go to school and study.
“I want to learn how to read. I want to read comic books and play with my friends,” he said.
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