නොමිලේ රෝද පුටු අලුත්වැඩියා කරන චන්

Disabled repairman offers free maintenance of wheelchairs for those in need

A warm-hearted repairman in Changzhou City of east China's Jiangsu Province has been providing free wheelchair repairs for disabled individuals for 16 years.

His name is Chen Zhijian, who has been disabled in his lower limbs since he was one year old. But his handicap did not become an obstacle for him to give a hand to others; he embarked on a career path of repairing wheelchairs for the people in need.

Though Chen's wheelchair repair shop is only 17 square meters, there is a lot of tools and parts, with various wheelchairs to be repaired.

Thanks to his rich experience, Chen can identify the faulty parts at a glance.

Over the past 16 years, Chen has repaired more than 1,000 wheelchairs.

In addition to repairing wheelchairs at his shop, Chen often offers on-the-spot service for the elderly and those with disabilities.

A nursing home, about eight kilometers away from his shop, accommodates nearly 50 elderly people, with more than 30 wheelchairs used here.

Because of the high frequency of use, Chen goes there once a week in order to maintain the wheelchairs regularly.

"The wheelchair structure seems simple, but its accessories are hard to find. Because of Mr. Chen, we're no longer bothered by the repair of wheelchairs, and Mr. Chen can help us repair wheelchairs at any time," said Zhang Xin, head of the nursing home.

Chen, initially running an electrical repair shop, decided to repair wheelchairs after he found that it is inconvenient for people with disabilities to maintain wheelchairs.

Zhou Ziren, a friend of Chen, was moved and funded him as a patron.

In 2017, Chen opened the wheelchair repair shop for free maintenance.

"When I first met Chen, I felt that his life was very difficult. Though he himself is disabled and his father is paralyzed, he insists on doing such good deeds, and I was moved by the spirit of his self-improvement, so I've gradually taken this as a long-term career," said Zhou.

Moreover, his kindness has attracted many other people to join him in providing free maintenance services for the disabled. At present, Chen's team has 13 members.

Relying on communities, nursing institutions and rehabilitation hospitals for the disabled, Chen has again set up 12 wheelchair repair shops in Changzhou City. Last years alone, Chen and his team repaired 250 wheelchairs for free across the city.

Now, more than 100 young people have been serving as volunteers and learning skills from Chen, hoping to offer help within their capabilities.

"I am 26 years old and I work as an electrician. After knowing that he repairs wheelchairs for free, I began to work with him to repair wheelchairs for people in need. I feel good when I see people happy because of the repairs. I hope that more young people will join us, so that we can do it for a longer time," said Zhou Qingquan, one of the volunteers.

"I'm now teaching some college volunteers. Although I can repair wheelchairs, I'm not able to keep up physically. If we can get some young volunteers to join our team, we can keep the cause going," said Chen.

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