NONTHABURI — A 15-year-old student who was seen collecting plastic bottles to help support her family has received assistance after her story went viral on social media, highlighting her efforts to care for her paralysed father while continuing her studies.
The case came to public attention after a Facebook page posted images of the girl wearing her school uniform while collecting recyclable waste from roadside bins, as well as caring for her father, who is unable to walk due to a spinal injury.
On 9 April at around 17:30, reporters accompanied the page owner to a rented house in Khlong Khoi subdistrict, Pak Kret district, Nonthaburi, where the family lives.
The student, identified as Benyapha Thanakornmnaporn, 15, is a Mathayom 3 student at Triam Udom Suksa Nomklao Nonthaburi School. She lives with her parents in a small rented room.
Her mother, Kritsana Rangsiyo, 49, works as a temporary school cleaner earning 380 baht per day and is the sole income earner in the household. She said her husband has been bedridden for 16 years after a fall that left him partially paralysed and unable to walk.
She said the family struggles with daily expenses, while her daughter helps collect and sell plastic bottles, earning less than 100 baht per trip. Kritsana said she felt both pity and pride in her daughter’s determination, but financial pressure has made it difficult to cover school expenses, including a 3,580 baht fee for continuing into upper secondary school.
The mother also appealed for assistance with medical supplies for her husband, including urine collection bags and drainage equipment, which are expensive and difficult to obtain.
The father, 59, a former maintenance technician, said he is still able to repair household appliances despite his condition and helps the landlord with small repair jobs in exchange for accommodation. He said he feels deeply sorry for his daughter having to collect recyclables to support the family, and hopes she can continue her education and pursue her dream of becoming a nurse.
Benyapha said she has helped collect recyclables since childhood and hopes to continue studying science in upper secondary school. She said she wants to become a nurse and is determined to support her family despite financial hardship.
“I’m not ashamed. My father is sick, I have to help him,” she said.
Page administrator Met Jaochainoi, who first shared the story, said he decided to step in after learning of the family’s situation and school fee burden. He said the initial request was only for basic necessities such as rice and medical supplies, but the urgency of the student’s education needs prompted him to provide further assistance.