CityNews – Regina Coeli students are raising funds for their classmate who has been suffering a severe coma for over six years, who is now under care of her 82 year old grandmother.
Hiranyaga ‘Mild’ Luang Dang, now aged 18, was a senior student of Regina Coeli College when she fell into a coma following a drowning accident in November 2011. She has been in a deep coma for the last six years and two months.
Sompong Chaiwattana, Mild’s grandmother who is aged 82, told reporters that her father left Mild and her mother a few months after the accident to start a new family with a new love interest. For the first three years, Mild’s mother relied on benefits from her job at the Provincial Electricity Authority to support her daughter’s treatment. In 2014, Mild’s mother passed away after a short battle with cancer. Sompong took over the care of Mild and her medical costs from that point onwards, using money given to her by Mild’s only other family member – her uncle who is now in his 50s.
They soon could not afford the bills so just under three years ago, Mild was taken out of hospital and re-located to their home. She is still reliant on medical equipment and regular doctors’ visits. Sompong has reportedly used her lifetime savings to achieve this, reaching monthly costs of between 30,000 and 50,000 baht.
Today, Sompong is selling Thai sweets, Kanom Tian, at two baht per piece at a local market every day to raise funds to support her granddaughter. Mild’s uncle is also helping sell the sweet when he is able.
Sompong told CityNews that she is worried about Mild’s future due to her own old age. She worries that if she passes away, there will be nobody able to take care of Mild.
Meanwhile, Chalisa Ruksilpakit, Mild’s friend and a class president at Regina Coeli College has set up a fund to help pay for Mild’s medical care. The fund is supported by the school and other classmates. Sister Sirilak Suwapap, Director of Regina Coeli College reported that Mild’s condition is improving slowly, recently being able to show signs of response when friends and family visit her despite it being very brief. They have been selling shirts with a screen reading ‘Our friendship will never end’ via Facebook page name Mine in Mind. Donations are also welcome, via bank transfers to SCB account number 501-423867-9.