Wheelchairs, Wheelchairs and More Wheelchairs

Sometimes I sit down to update my blog, only to draw a blank. I know that there is so much about which I need to write, but I just can’t remember. While I know there is more to report on, the things that are filling my mind are wheelchairs.

As a wrote several weeks back, we have recently been given a gift of $10,000 from an anonymous donor to provide wheelchairs. I have had a backlog of people waiting for chairs (10 to be exact), so as soon as we had the funds I went to work. Thus far this week I have purchased eight chairs and delivered four of them to towns scattered over Esquintla. Tomorrow I will deliver two more to the town of Guastatoya in the department of El Progreso.

This has been such a blessing. To be able to deliver chairs without worrying about the cost and finding a sponsor has been a freeing experience. And it seems that for every person we seat, we find another who needs one.

For example, on Monday we delivered three chairs, and one of them was for Teresa. We found this older lady who is recovering from a stroke while we were visiting another person and measuring them for a chair. Her son pushed her up in a ratty old chair that was falling apart. The rubber from the tires had fallen off and the bearings were shot so that both of the main wheels wobbled and brushed again the side as it rolled. The son removed his hat, bowed his head and asked us if we could please help his mother. The answer, of course, was yes.

So when we pulled up in from of Teresa’s house her son excitedly pushed her out to greet us. I had not even had a chance to get the new chair out of the truck before they and other neighbors gathered around. Since we were in a shady place, we decided to seat her outside. I should have known better. By the time we were done, there were about 20 people gathered around us, many of whom had health problems or disabilities. I explained that I was not a doctor, but told them the best places to go for treatment.

But one of the people who approached us was Carlos. He had a motorcycle accident ten years ago that left him paralyzed from the waist down. But it had done little to slow him down. Each day he wheels across the city of Esquintla to work, and the wheels himself back home at the end of the day. His upper body is buff and he is determined, but his wheelchair is shot. He wondered if we could possibly help him find a chair. So measurements were taken and we will be delivering a new chair to him soon.

We also delivered a new chair to Walter that day. We have been working with him for over three years now and have seen him grow…a lot. In fact, he had completely outgrown the wheelchair we had provided him two years before. There were not more adjustments we could make. So we seated him in a new ride and he was one happy young man.

 

The final chair we delivered that day was to Henri in the village of Las Palmas. If you know much about wheelchairs you will notice that the new chair is not a very good seating job. He is the most difficult child I have ever seated. I had been struggling with what to do with him and had consulted with Dick Rutgers several times. Dick (aka. The Wheelchair Wisperer) was also struggling with what to do. Then this chair fell into my lap and I decided it was the best that I would be able to do for him.

If you could see his old chair, you would know that this is a big improvement. For one thing, it was falling apart. The sand and salt from the Pacific Ocean had rusted it away. While it was tilted back, Henri was constantly sliding down in the seat as his lower spine is rounded. His new chair allows him to recline to 45 degrees to allow him to settle into the chair. Dick will be doing a follow up visit to see what, if anything, he can do to help him sit better.

But that is the reality of this kind of ministry. We do the best we can do with what we have. In the States Henry would have thousands of dollars of customizations on a specialized chair. That is not an option here. But God takes our best and honors it.

In other news, Brittney is settling in nicely in San Pablo La Laguna. She has begun classes with several children and will be working with the local school to complement the teaching they receive there. She has also begun taking Guatemalan sign language classes (which is very different from American Sign Language) to help her better work with deaf students. She has really found her stride.

Hogar de la Esperanza continues to become more and more efficient and effective, and we are seeing the kids take strides. Our newest little one, Rosalinda, is doing well and gaining weight. At her last weigh-in she had gained almost a pound. Her energy level is increasing and her crying is less. We have had her to our cardiologist, neurologist and nutritionist, and everything has been good news. The cardiologist reports that there are no problems with her heart. (We were originally told that she had serious heart issues.) The neurologist reports that there are no signs of brain damage. She is simply delayed developmentally due to the malnutrition. (We were originally told that she had sever brain damage.) And the nutritionist reported that after only 10 days in our home she saw significant improvement.

Meanwhile, Olimpia is our malnutrition success story. The little girl who was skin and bones is now a plump little ball of chubbiness. She is now sitting up very well and is beginning to scoot across the floor. Her hair has grown back in, and she is Little Miss Popular everywhere she goes.

So, that’s it from here. I am sure that as soon as I post this I will think of the other dozen things I was supposed to write, but they will save for now. Blessings from Guate!

Daryl, Wanda and the Crew