Thai man walks over 200km to hospital for daughter’s treatment
A Thai man walked over 200 kilometres to take his one year old daughter, who suffers from heart disease and a severe lung infection, to a hospital in Chiang Mai‘s city centre. A rescue team came to his aid after observing him weeping by the roadside.
The rescuer from the Nopparat Rescue Foundation in Chiang Mai offered a free ride to the 24 year old single father and his one year old daughter on Friday, August 30, after witnessing the man sitting and crying because he could not afford a trip back home.
The foundation shared a heart-wrenching video of their assistance with the pair on its TikTok account, which garnered significant attention from Thai TikTok users and news agencies. Many netizens expressed a desire to help the father and daughter. In response, the rescuers disclosed the story to the media to facilitate support from those who wished to assist them.
According to the rescuers, the man was walking out of San Patong Hospital between 3pm and 4pm on Friday with his little daughter in his arms. He then sat outside a police booth on the pavement and began to cry. The rescuers decided to approach him to inquire about his situation.
Initially, the man did not say anything and continued crying. The rescuers then took the pair to the foundation office, provided them with food, and gave the little girl a chance to shower.
The man later explained that his daughter suffers from heart disease and a severe lung infection. She had undergone surgery when she was six months old and needed to visit the hospital frequently for check-ups.
Supports from netizens
Unable to afford the trip to the hospital, he had walked from his home in the Omkoi district to the hospital in the San Patong district, a distance of over 200 kilometres. He spent four to five hours walking and had to make this journey every month. The route was dangerous during the rainy season.
The father stated that he could not return home because his daughter needed to see a doctor at another hospital on September 9. He would stay at a friend’s home while waiting, so the rescue team offered him a ride to his friend’s home.
According to the father, he did not have stable work and took on various local jobs as they became available. Sometimes he had only 500 baht but needed to stay at the hospital for over a month.
The rescue team provided them with some money and essentials. The team updated their TikTok account, noting that many people wanted to donate money and other necessary items. The foundation would facilitate anyone who wanted to support them and would provide updates once the donations were received.
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