A few weeks ago, our friends at Pirate Coast Paddleboards staged the Paddle for Wheelchairs, a terrific event planned and run entirely by our enthusiastic FWM Ambassadors. They invited anyone who donated the price of one wheelchair to try paddleboarding, followed by a catered dinner (donated by a local restaurant), and an entry to a raffle drawing. Guests not only learned how to paddleboard, enjoyed Newport Beach, California’s beautiful Back Bay, and indulged in great food and camaraderie, but most importantly, they came together to raise funds to send wheelchairs around the world!

The Paddle for Wheelchairs is just one example of the many events that FWM supporters are holding around the country to help raise funds for wheelchairs through FWM’s Team Mobility program.

Team Mobility encourages athletes to make an impact by participating in whatever sport they’d like while raising funds and awareness for FWM. Whatever your sport, from running to paintballing to paddleboarding, Team Mobility is a flexible, fun way to “compete for more than a medal!”

There are three ways you can get involved:

1. Join an upcoming Team Mobility event
   October 9, 2011 - Long Beach Marathon, Long Beach, California
   February 5, 2012 – Surf City® Marathon, our famous Super Bowl Sunday tradition in Huntington Beach, California
   March 18, 2012 – LA Marathon, Los Angeles, California
2. Dedicate your next event to mobility
3. Create a new event with your group of friends and fellow athletes
   
   Any race, competition, or sporting event can qualify as a Team Mobility event. In addition to Paddle for Wheelchairs, other creative examples include a group of scholars at Ohio University banding together for a 5K last May, raising $1,700 for wheelchairs. Furthermore, a large network of business associates in Canada ran a sprint triathlon recently through Team Mobility, rejoicing in the thrill of competition while raising money for wheelchairs.
   
   However you participate, whatever your sport, wherever you live, you can turn your efforts into the transforming gift of mobility for people all around the world. Learn more about Team Mobility, and join our group of “athletes making an impact”.
   
   God bless, Don

Distribution partners are a key link in getting wheelchairs from the factory to the people that need them. Today’s story comes from Morocco, and our primary partner in the region, Gateway Medical Alliance. GMA works in a variety of medical interventions and has served the people of Morocco with wheelchair distribution since 2006; we are proud to partner with these dedicated humanitarians.

Amine is an eight year old boy that one of our local advocates brought to our attention. Struggling with mobility as a result of cerebral palsy, he was definitely in need of physical therapy, so we began giving him sessions here at our local center.

In addition, we brought him a wheelchair to enhance his mobility. Although he is able to walk slowly if someone holds both hands and stabilizes him, he falls a lot and lacks motor control over his lower limbs. Because of the wheelchair, Amine can now safely navigate his world. Most importantly, he is now able to get to school and back, allowing him to re-enroll in elementary school. There are very limited accommodations for the handicapped in Morocco; if they are not able to get to school and move in and out of the classrooms independently, the teachers just ask them to stay at home.

This gift not only gave Amine mobility around the house and with his friends, it allowed him to begin therapy and enroll again in school, thus improving his health and broadening his future. Thanks to FWM for making a difference!

Education is the most valuable way children can have a chance to pull themselves out of the cycle of poverty. But, without mobility, the classroom can be out of reach. In Morocco and around the developing world, a wheelchair can make all the difference.

God bless, Don

From Cambodia comes this story of a young mother, and her return to family and life through the transforming gift of mobility! Enjoy!

Norn is 31 years old and the mother of two young children. Norn caught the measles as an infant and has been disabled ever since. She vaguely remembers her parents taking her to some type of a witch-doctor when she was a little girl, but she didn’t really know why. She also recalls suddenly thinking of herself as disabled and “different” when she was a 5-year-old; Norn remembers seeing the other kids playing and couldn’t join in on the fun. She never went to school and she can only move around a little bit in the house. Though she received a wheelchair once, many years ago, it was broken and she couldn’t go anywhere far from the house.

The family depends upon her husband as the sole breadwinner. He used to have a good job as a construction worker, until the company stopped paying their workers on a regular basis. He has been trying to add on additional odd jobs to make ends meet, but Norn wishes she could ease the burden by helping bring in more income.

When Norn received a brand new wheelchair through a recent distribution, it opened up a whole new world of opportunity, possibility and joy for this young mother. Norn could finally see some hope in her and her family’s future. She is excited that she can now do more for her children, like try to get a job, and contribute to their needs. Plus, Norn can now have more contact with the friends and relatives she knows and loves.

“I am so happy with my new wheelchair,” said Norn. “It makes such a difference for our family and I know it will make a difference in my daily life. Thank you so much!”

No matter where you live in the world, mobility is a basic component of a happy and fulfilled life. Wheelchairs provide mobility, and with that mobility, a return to the simple pleasures of family, friends, and function.

God bless, Don

Last year, one of our most exciting campaigns was our Matching Gift Challenge! It was a chance for our friends and supporters to have every dollar matched, effectively doubling their gift and sending twice the wheelchairs around the world. It was a tremendous success and very exciting!

Our friend, Rich Skolburg, traveled to India last spring to see if he could track down the stories behind the wheelchairs we distribute. On his journeys, he met a man named Isaac. He shares this with us, and with you:

Life has not been easy for Isaac. Born without the use of his legs, his father told him he could not go to school, not just because he was needed at home, but because the other children would make fun of him. As a young man, Isaac worked shaping stones for use in building walls at a local quarry, until machines replaced the workers and he lost his job. Now he must rely upon the charity of others for his survival.

Isaac has no wife, parents, or children, only a sister with whom he lives. I wondered what it would be like if he could read, if he had received a formal education, if somewhere in his past a different fork of the road had been taken. He is intelligent, easy to talk to, and with strong hands that once shaped stones, now used for begging. His story was one of desperation, isolation and worry. He said what he feared most was one day being alone.

Isaac’s new wheelchair could not have come at a better time. Before the chair, his only means of transportation was hopping or scooting around, using his arms to lift his bottom and legs from the ground as he moved. Now 55 years old, his age limited his movement.

I asked him the biggest thing the chair did to change his life, and his answer saddened me. He told me he uses the chair to leave the house so that he is not in anyone’s way.

This is a story that was difficult for me to write. No matter where you are in the world or who you meet regardless of religion, creed or socio economic background, everyone yearns for human contact, for someone to have a sincere conversation with and to tell their story to. I wanted to share this because Isaac, and millions like him, has a voice never heard. I am grateful to know Isaac and I hope to see him again. I hope his story can help to get your message out and help more people like him. It is why I made the trip.

Rich Skolburg

Recently, long time friend and supporter Bob Longman traveled to Guatemala to accompany a delivery of wheelchairs. He shared with us this story:

One day, we had the opportunity to deliver some wheelchairs to people in a hospital. Two of the recipients were young teenagers, a boy and a girl. They were somewhat solemn in their composure as we lifted them into the wheelchairs and adjusted the foot plates to the proper position. After watching for a few minutes, I started to think that perhaps they have not recognized the opportunity they had just received. I imagine that it had been so long since either had realized any feeling of mobility that maybe it was just not being considered at the time.

I went around behind the two and unlocked the brakes. I put their hands on the rings on each wheel and showed them how to propel the chair forward or backward. As I moved the wheel ever so slightly, they started to change; finally, they began to feel the ability to move themselves for the first time in the last twelve years. The joy on their faces was worth the flight down to Guatemala. Both of them had a huge smile that came from their inner soul. It is truly amazing what a simple wheelchair can do to change a person’s life.

When I think of these two young people, empowered with the gift of mobility, faces covered with smiles and a bright future ahead, it reminds me how important this mission is. We are thankful to our friend, Bob Longman, for traveling to Guatemala to help out with this distribution, and grateful to our many supporters that fund the wheelchairs and make it all happen.

God bless, Don

Disability in the developing world is not just a hardship for the person afflicted. It can also challenge the parents who care for them and the families who love them. From Ecuador and one of our biggest distribution partners in the region, Fundacion Vista Para Todos, comes this story:

Jenny is 35 years old. She contracted polio as a young child and has not been able to walk for over thirty years. She lives with her mother in a small house near El Empalme, in the southern part of Ecuador.

Jenny stays home alone during the day while her mother works to provide for their small household. As her mother has gotten older, it has become more and more difficult to find the strength to help move her daughter around. For as long as this mother and daughter can remember, they have needed a wheelchair for Jenny; however, even if a wheelchair had been available, it would have been untouchable – an expense far beyond their means.

When Jenny received a wheelchair in a recent distribution, mother and daughter were both thrilled. Newly mobile, Jenny is now able to leave the house to go to physical therapy, where she is gaining strength in her arms and legs to better maneuver her wheelchair. She hopes to be able to find a job soon so that she can help out with expenses, and is happy to be able to do more around the house. Not only is her mother appreciative for the additional support, she is especially thankful for her daughter’s happiness and ability to enjoy a mobile life where she can make friends and find independence.

All around the world, the gift of a wheelchair empowers individuals, families, and communities – everyone benefits when a person with a disability is mobilized for life!

God bless, Don

On July 26th, we enjoyed an incredible evening in Costa Mesa with over 550 of our closest friends and family members ... and came away with 17,600 wheelchairs to send around the world. This year’s Magic of Mobility was an answer to prayer, more than we could have imagined and everything we had hoped for. Thanks to the generosity of our friends and supporters, 17,600 men, women, and children, will now be receiving THEIR answer to prayer, a brand new wheelchair.

The evening started off in great form, with delicious food and drink and of course the annual crowd pleasing favorite, the Potato Martini Bar. Laughter, smiles, and conversation filled in the air. Powerful imagery of our wheelchair recipients lit up the room. Everyone enjoyed meeting our special guests, Siengmy and Siengsy Phengphachan from Laos, lining up for a photo opportunity. The silent auction items tempted with their bountiful baskets.

Highlights of the program were many. Artist Steven Fishwick started things off with his amazing brand of artistry, creating a magnificent rendering of an elephant before our very eyes. Board member and Event Chair Deborah Anderson introduced the evening, sharing about our ten year anniversary, thanking those involved, and bringing forth Pastor Bob Shank who led us in prayer. I had the chance to share highlights of the year, reflect aloud about the progress we’ve made, and the journey ahead. And of course, our friends from Laos sparkled and filled the stage with their smiles and youthful optimism.

Wrapping up the program, our Chairman of the Board, Jim Franklin, was in fine form, pumping up the crowd and sharing some fabulous auction items with the attendees. The live auction brought in thousands of wheelchairs and the generosity of the container auction exceeded our imagination. We continue to be humbled and grateful for such blessings.

From beginning to end, this year’s Magic of Mobility was extra special – not just did we celebrate 10 Years of Transformation and enjoy looking forward to the decade ahead, we enjoyed a great evening with friends. We ended the evening with a parting gift of our new 30-day prayer devotional – a reminder of our most important relationship – that with God who watches over all we do.

God bless, Don

One of our goals here in the office is to ensure that our staff members have the chance to get out into the field; we’ve sent our Database Manager to India, our Communications Specialist to Ecuador, our International Operations Manager to South Africa . . . it is our belief that the more profoundly our staff connects with our recipients and the work we do “in-country,” the more our mission ultimately benefits. Recently, our Foundations and Grants Specialist traveled to Peru and she brought back this story:

Last month, I had the opportunity to accompany a group to Peru to assemble and distribute wheelchairs.  In the two years that I’ve been involved with Free Wheelchair Mission, this was the first time I was able to experience our work on the ground, and it was truly an incredible experience.  It’s one thing to see pictures and hear stories from others who have been on distribution trips, but to actually see the faces of our wheelchair recipients light up when they are given the gift of mobility is impossible to fully describe.  

One elderly lady we visited was bedridden and her adult daughter was completely responsible for all of her needs.  When her daughter opened the door and saw us standing there with a wheelchair, her eyes filled with tears of joy. She started hugging us and thanking us for the difference this was going to make in both of their lives.  

Visiting these incredible people makes me feel truly blessed to be able to work on such a worthwhile cause, and motivates me all the more to help lift as many people as possible off of the ground and into a wheelchair of their own.

Sincerely,
Jessica Warren
Foundations and Grants Specialist
Free Wheelchair Mission

Saturday, June 25^th at Irvine’s Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, was an extraordinary day for all of us at Free Wheelchair Mission. As the featured charity of Fishfest 2011, we enjoyed an afternoon that spilled into evening filled with great music, brilliant sunshine, the joy of new friendships and the blessings of . . .well, those not so new! 

Like most events, it was a long day, starting early as we drove the vans up the access lanes and into the venue, packed full with banners and signs and boxes of every size. We pitched pop-ups and set up tables, assembled signs and handed out name badges, pushed wheelchairs into position, set out water bottles for the volunteers, and dragged around helium tanks for the balloons. A long day indeed, wrapping up well past midnight as we undid all of the above, packing up the vans to head back home. 

In between all this setting up and tearing down, though, it was a picture-perfect day full of memorable moments:

• An army of volunteers in blue shirts ready to pitch in and help.
• An oasis of shade at the FWM booth, a cool welcome to passers-by.
• The sight of our colorful FWM banners spinning in the wind on a breezy day.
• Baskets of black FWM wristbands migrating to the crowds and uniting us all in a common bond.
• Music from the sound system, filling the air with praise and inspiration.
• An amphitheater filled to the brim with over 16,000 enthusiastic concert goers
• Pastor Kenton Beshore from Mariners Church and his powerful message from the stage, stirring the crowd and spreading the word. 
• The first public reaction to our new video – “We Just Have To Go Back” – visibly touching the crowd and opening hearts and minds to the mission.
• A trail of blue balloons bobbing about, sharing our Face of the Mission cards with the concert goers, collecting hundreds of wheelchairs to send around the world.
• The inaugural launch of our “Text to Give” program – and the immediate wave of generosity that followed, raising over $1800 in the first minutes it went live.

Fishfest 2011 proved to be an amazing day of grace, as Pastor Kenton reflected, “opening the door” to so many possibilities ahead. We are grateful to Transparent Productions and 95.9 The Fish, and thank them for sharing with us this powerful opportunity.

God Bless, Don

I have learned over the years that inspiration can come from many different directions. A story out of Oklahoma from the mother of a creative and compassionate teenager is one that recently inspired us all:

This year marked my daughter’s sixteenth birthday.  For almost a year, Katelin has talked about donating three wheelchairs to Free Wheelchair Mission instead of receiving gifts on her big day. So, for her Sweet 16th, I planned a party for all her friends. On the invitations, I explained to the guests about FWM and how Katelin wanted to donate wheelchairs instead of receiving gifts. 

Well, it was a huge success! Several friends donated money directly to the website, enough for two chairs; at her party, ALL of her birthday cards contained money for wheelchairs! Enough that we were able to buy four more chairs! Katelin was so excited. Not only did her wish come true, but she doubled her goal! 

My daughter is special not just for her kind and generous heart but because she is our miracle child. Katelin has an area on her brain that causes seizures; at the age of 12, she faced the possibility of a brain surgery that could have left her in a wheelchair for the rest of her life. We believe that by the power of prayer God healed her to the point that the surgery was not necessary, and Katelin has been seizure free for two years. Some time ago, she felt the call from God leading her into mission work. My daughter feels that her efforts to raise wheelchairs for Free Wheelchair Mission are the first step in her journey and she will continue to raise money for many different mission needs.  Katelin has been a competitive cheerleader since the age of four; she only took a break for about four months even when she was facing the surgery. Now she competes, cheers at her high school, drives a car AND works with the kids in our church! 

What amazing gifts, that Katelin would find relief and healing, that we would be blessed by this outpouring of enthusiasm, and that six people around the world would be empowered with a brand-new wheelchair. Thank you Katelin – you have made a difference, and are an inspiration to us all in our service to others!

God bless, Don

Last month, I traveled to Zambia with World Vision, our new partner, kicking off the beginning of what I hope will be a very long relationship. We traveled with three doctoral candidates currently enrolled in Azusa Pacific University’s physical therapy program. Our goal was to deliver the first 500 of the 6,000 wheelchairs we plan to distribute together over the next year. While there, we also developed extensive video and written procedures for World Vision and for our other distribution partners in order to complement the tremendous versatility of our new GEN_2 wheelchair. 

Beauty is her name. She is five years old. She lives with her grandmother in the tiny village of Mwachiele.   In addition to malnutrition and possibly other developmental disabilities, Beauty suffers from club feet. She walks on the sides of her ankles, and with each step, flashes of pain shoot across her face. Her grandmother has carried her everywhere, taking her to a World Vision clinic about twice a month. The possibility of getting Beauty to school each day has been out of the question. 

Beauty weighs 25 pounds, which is small for most wheelchairs; however, with some simple modifications, she was very comfortable in her new GEN_2. Her mother told us that she was intensely shy and having a dozen strangers visiting did not help. We wanted to take Beauty’s photograph in her brand new wheelchair, but the best images we could get were of her big brown eyes. She looked somber, but her mother recognized gladly that a world of opportunities was opening up for her daughter in the gift of a wheelchair. 

“Beauty has had little ability to be part of the community or participate in any events,” she said. “Now my daughter will finally get a chance.”

 This week was full of strong wonderful feelings about our collaboration with World Vision. They complement our existing fine distribution partners now in eighty countries.  Their immense presence and dedication to sustained service in one hundred developing countries may make them the awesome partner we need to place 19,400,000 more wheelchairs. I am ecstatically optimistic. And with them, as with us, God will get the glory.

God Bless, Don

In Photo: Jaclyn Trotter, Lenae Cain, John Jensen, Mom, Beauty, Munangandu, and Nick Felipe