Lê Văn Hóa continuously improves wheelchairs to make them suitable to the specific needs of each disabled person. — VNA/VNS Photo Thanh Thủy

QUẢNG TRỊ — Stemming from love for his paralysed father and other disabled people, Lê Văn Hóa successfully started his business by creating improved wheelchairs.

Hóa, 30, is from Triệu Trung Commune, Triệu Phong District, the central province of Quảng Trị.

Hóa's father, Lê Văn Hiếu, had an accident and was bed-ridden since Hóa was small.

Paralysed from his neck, Hiếu’s life was tied to his bed in a small room. All of his motivation depended on his family members.

Loving his dad, since Hóa was at junior secondary school, he read books, researched and came up with the idea of installing a pulley system connected to horizontal iron bars on the ceiling to help his father sit up on his own.

The system also helps Hóa and his family move Hiếu with less effort.

The installed pulley system has been improved many times and upgraded with a power system and easy-to-control switch.

Wanting paralysed people like his father to be able to better move around in electric wheelchairs, Hóa started his study on an old wheelchair presented to his father by a relative.

Hóa installed a motor, electrical system and battery on it.

The first electric wheelchair brought new joy to Hiếu’s life when he could control his own movement through the neighbourhood and village after many years of lying in one place.

Hiếu said that Hóa loved him so much and always dreamt about inventing an electric wheelchair for him since Hóa was a small boy.

After many sleepless nights reading books and manipulating piles of iron and steel materials, with endless perseverance, Hóa finally did it.

Now, Hóa has not only helped his father but also many other disabled people.

In 2012, Hóa won first prize at the Quảng Trị Province International Scientific and Technical Innovation Contest with the project "Designing a battery-powered wheelchair for people with disabilities".

He also received a certificate of merit from the Việt Nam Fund for Technical Innovation Support (VIFOTEC) when winning third prize in the Việt Nam Science and Engineering Fair (VISEF) for high school students in 2012.

With burning determination, a year later, Hóa passed the mechanical engineering major at the Huế College of Industry.

Studying while working part-time repairing machinery, Hóa graduated from the college in 2016 and returned to his hometown to start a business as a mechanic, and selling and repairing wheelchairs.

Successful start-up

Due to limited capital, Hóa initially mainly repaired vehicles.

When he had more funds, he began producing and selling improved wheelchairs for people with disabilities in the area.

Each electric wheelchair is customised according to the user's individual requirements, depending on their physical condition and health.

The wheelchairs can support users such as sitting, standing, lying, relieving themselves and even include a roofing system.

With the hope that the wheelchairs will bring joy and happiness to disabled people, Hóa sells them at very low prices.

The good news has spread far and wide, Hóa gains trust and love from users, so he has more and more orders.

His work really changed in 2017 when Hóa participated in the programme "Billion Dollar Business Ideas".

Hóa convinced great investors and received support from them of VNĐ200 million (US$8,000).

Hóa boldly borrowed more from a bank to invest in expanding production and sales of other types of vehicles such as electric bicycles and electric motorbikes.

His store has become a reliable address for people in the locality to buy electric motorbikes, repair machines as well as order three-wheel or four-wheel wheelchairs at affordable prices of VNĐ4-12 million ($160-480).

Orders from other provinces and cities are also increasing.

Nguyễn Văn Thưởng, 65, from Ngô Xá Tây Village, Triệu Trung Commune, had a herniated disk.

After surgery, he became increasingly weak.

Knowing that, Hóa produced a wheelchair upon Thưởng’s specific request.

Up to now, the wheelchair has been very convenient for Thưởng.

Every time it breaks down, Hóa enthusiastically provides on-site repairs.

Last year, Hóa opened a second branch in Hòa Bình Town, Xuân Mộc District, Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu Province.

To date, his production facilities have brought high profits of over VNĐ360 million ($14,400) per year.

He creates regular jobs for four workers with salaries of VNĐ5-10 million ($200-400) per month.

Trương Thị Thanh Nhàn, deputy secretary of the Triệu Phong District Youth Union, said that Hóa's startup model of manufacturing and repairing wheelchairs, trading motorbikes and electric bicycles has social significance as well as high economic efficiency.

Based on his love for his father, Hóa created multi-functional wheelchairs to help people with disabilities move around, she said.

He also helped many young people in the area learn vocational skills to have stable jobs.

“This is not only a typical model of the district but also a shining example for other union members and young people to follow,” said Nhàn. — VNS