Aid recipients saddened by death of their champion

Aid recipients saddened by death of their champion

A Korat man suffering from neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that causes growth of tumours on nerve tissue, producing skin and bone abnormalities, is in mourning for HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana and has vowed to be a good citizen to make merit for the Princess.

Published on January 8, 2008

Nineteen-year-old Jakkarin Saekratok is a patient who benefited from the Princess's patronage after she visited Tambon Beungpreu in Nakhon Ratchasima's Thepharak sub-district with medical volunteers in 2003.

Jakkarin, then 15, was admitted for treatment at Bangkok's Ramathibodi Hospital.

"I feel very grateful that HRH the Princess took me as a patient. I am deeply sorry to hear that she passed away. I now vow to be a good man and repay my parents' kindness, helping my mother with her housework, to make merit for the Princess," he said. Jakkarin lives in Hua Sa village with his mother Chawiwan, younger brother Athit and grandmother. He studies at Theparak School's non-formal education centre.

In Phatthalung, the parents of a 13-year-old boy who received an artificial leg on the instruction of the Princess expressed their gratitude for her generous gesture and mourned her passing.

Sawai Niamnam, 44, tearfully said that her family was saddened by the news of the Princess's passing because she had assisted their fifth son, Wutthidech Niamnam, whose right leg was badly infected after a snake bite and had to be amputated.

The boy met the Princess during her 2002 visit with medical volunteers to Tambon Lan Khoi in Pa Phayom district. The Princess had the Prostheses Foundation make him an artificial limb. The boy was given the limb in front of the Princess at Bangkok's Sanam Luang in March 2003.

The mother of seven said the Mathayom 1 student could now walk and get around and could even ride a bike to his school in Kong Ra district by himself.

"Without the Princess's help and the Prostheses Foundation's care, my son wouldn't be like this today because our family is very poor," she added.

In related news, two schoolgirls and their families from the Sakai minority in the South, along with teachers of Ban Chong Sai School in Satun's Thung Wa district, visited Satun City Hall yesterday to sign the condolence book for the Princess All were wearing black clothes in mourning.

At the same time, Manote Maneewit, director of Tha Phae Phadungwit School in Satun's Tha Phae district, led a group of 65 students to sign the condolence book for the Princess.

The Nation