BURI RAM: A poor, blind woman left to take care of her 15-month son alone was brought to tears by the kind intentions of a paralysed 59-year-old stranger, who offered to donate one of his eyes to her.
Sunisa Moongruayklang, 26, of Ban Klanta in tambon Krasang of Muang district, said she received the offer recently from Payap Rodmuang, 59, a paraplegic from Chachoengsao province.
Mr Payap spends most of his time in bed at his house in Phanom Sarakham district. He learned of Ms Sunisa's plight on Facebook and called her on his phone. He told her he wanted to donate one of his eyes to her, so she could again see people and the world around her.
Ms Sunisa, who lives in a rusty shack with galvanized iron walls with her toddler son, said she was so emotionally affected by the offer from a complete stranger the tears just rolled down her cheeks. She felt such gratitude.
She admitted she had been totally down and wanted to end her life after losing her sight seven years ago. If she ever could see again she would be sure to visit Mr Payap at his home to thank him for the offer.
Mr Payap said he felt sympathy for her plight and wanted to do something to help her. He has been confined to his bed for more than 20 years and felt his eye would be useful for her.
Ms Sunisa lost vision in both her eyes after working at an iron smelter for seven years. Her husband had left her to enter the monkhood and she had been struggling ever since to take care of their child.
She relies on her 800-baht monthly allowance for the disabled and a 300 baht state welfare card for the poor.
Her hardship came to public attention after a neighbour posted her story on Facebook. Public donations have been pouring in and now top 1.4 million baht.
Ms Sunisa said she would use some of money to build a more secure house that could protect her and her child from the weather. Part of the money would also be put aside for the education of her son and to take care of her mother.
She expressed her gratitude to all the donors and state agencies for helping free her from suffering and hardship.
Despite Mr Payap's kindly offer, true eye transplants are not yet surgically possible.
