Boy with polio an inspiration to others more fortunate


Image: Daily News

NARATHIWAT: -- A little boy in the South of Thailand who is afflicted with polio crawls into school so that he can get an education.

One day he hopes to be the breadwinner of the family and support his proud mum and dad reported Daily News.

Six year old Alif Niyamee has just started grade one at the Ban Jeu Rae school in Narathiwat province. He is unable to walk having the disease in both legs. He is taken to school each day by his parents Sara Hudin and Robanu who are local rubber workers.

He always crawls the last part of the journey into his classroom using his arms to push himself along. He is a star of the class well received by the other children who always try to help him.

Proud dad Sara said: "My son cannot walk at all but he loves to learn and is very serious about his studies. He is a very inquisitive boy.

"Everybody tries to help him out and we are very proud that they all have high expectations of him. He likes to say that when he finishes his studies he will look after his mum and dad which makes my wife and I feel very proud."

Source: Daily News

-- 2016-05-25

I am shocked to learn that POLIO still exists in Thailand. It was eradicated in all the civiized countries 50 years ago,it is easily prevented by vaccine and yet this little guy has it ???? I just do not understand this at all. What is going on here?

Polio have been mostly eradicated many years ago with a very effective vaccination all over

the world and why kids in Thailand are left out of this cheap and readily available vaccinations?......

Why are parents buying all the new shining gizmos to their kids but don't make sure to vaccinate

them against all diseases that can harm them?......

Polio ( originally called Infantile Paralysis) has not been eradicated but has been under control in most parts of the world since mass immunisations began following the Salk/Sabin programs in the mid 50s.

Let's hope this little guy gets the treatment /support he needs and deserves so that he can pursue his dreams.

Only 2 countries were not free of Polio: Afghanistan and Pakistan.

All other countries in this world were free of polio until this case. This is indeed a shock.

Or did this family come from one of these 2 countries?

We need to know more because this is alarming.

Why do those who are more fortunate need inspiration?

"One day he hopes to be the breadwinner of the family and support his proud mum and dad..."

Perhaps the term "fortunate" needs to be redefined.

Sounds like he's more fortunate than many who have full use of their limbs. He is blessed with a sense of responsibility, set of goals and a good heart. No need for him to go to the local wat and make monetary merit. He makes merit all the time through his actions.

Edited May 25, 201610 yr by jaltsc

Why is he having to crawl into school. Surely he could make use of a wheelchair. I am more than prepared to purchase one so that he does not have to continue to be degraded in this way.

"One day he hopes to be the breadwinner of the family and support his proud mum and dad..."

Perhaps the term "fortunate" needs to be redefined.

Sounds like he's more fortunate than many who have full use of their limbs. He is blessed with a sense of responsibility, set of goals and a good heart. No need for him to go to the local wat and make monetary merit. He makes merit all the time through his actions.

"local wat"?:

Daily News

His parents should feel shame for not getting him vaccinated.

A recent and interesting article on the matter: http://borgenproject.org/thailands-intensified-measures-against-polio/

The director-general of the Department of Disease Control (DDC) stated that “though Thailand is declared free of polio, Thais are still at risk of contracting the disease particularly in provinces close to Laos.”

Well not quite free of Polio as it seems, and not only at the Lao border.

AFAIK polio vaccination of children is done free in municipal dispensaries and government hospitals. Correct me if I'm wrong.

But this article mentions new strains that the usual vaccine might not protect from from.

Something funny going on. WHO declared Thailand polio free in 2014.
"Thailand has been free from polio for 17 years, with the last case reported in Loei in 1997."
http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/719768-who-declares-thailand-and-other-10-asian-countries-polio-free/

It is certainly true that a Polio problem has recently emerged in Laos.

http://www.who.int/csr/don/29-january-2016-polio-lao/en/

I cannot find any reports about a recent problem in Thailand, the last cases being reported (WHO) as occurring in 2000

http://apps.who.int/immunization_monitoring/globalsummary/incidences?c=THA

I wrote to the Daily News via their email address on their website making the offer to donate funds to help this boy. So far I have had no response whatsoever. It seems the newspaper has no interest in helping me find this needy family. I would appreciate any suggestions as to how I can locate them.

Given the area and his name (Alif Niyamee) I am guessing this is a muslim family. If you don't see the significance, google "polio vaccine muslim".

Meanwhile, in Oz, families who refuse to vaccinate their children are being refused school entry and denied government child support payments. If you have a daughter, please consider vaccinating against HPV, 100% effect against venereal warts and associated ovarian/uterine cancers.

I wrote to the Daily News via their email address on their website making the offer to donate funds to help this boy. So far I have had no response whatsoever. It seems the newspaper has no interest in helping me find this needy family. I would appreciate any suggestions as to how I can locate them.

Hi, the Daily News article link in the OP gives the boy's name, his mother and fathers' names (who work as rubber tappers) and the address of his primary school in Narathiwat province. You could contact him via that.

Thank you for the suggestion but I want to do this anonymously. So a direct approach is not what I would like to do. Adfitionally I want a professional healthcare advisor to assist in assessing his needs and selecting the most suitable device in cooperation with his parents. However tomorrow I will get a Thai friend to contact the school and see if something could be put in place quickly. It is disappointing that the newspaper is keen to use his story but not to assist!

Hello Katana. Thank you for passing on the information to me. I will follow up through the channel identified in the article. I am delighted to see that he has already been supplied with a wheelchair and will provide funds to ensure that as he grows he will be provided with further support. It is tragic to see the resurfacing of polio. I was his age at a time when polio took the life of a schoolfriend in the UK, and we all queued to get the Salk vaccine.

Well after four days of trying to transfer money via ATM to the account number published in khaochad.com I have not succeeded. All I get is a message telling me the destination account details are invalid. So sadly I have not been able to assist the needy boy. Frustrating and depressing.