Haiti has weathered significant challenges in recent times: a devastating earthquake in 2010, another large tremor in 2021, and ongoing civil unrest.
There, in the coastal town of La Petite Anse, we find the story of Ghetha, a 57-year-old single mother.
Ghetha has always had an independent spirit. She worked hard as a food vendor, selling fried chicken, rice, and beans, to support her two beloved sons, Kenson and Wadson.
Kenson, now an adult, works in masonry while Wadson is still a high school student.
About a year ago, Ghetha suffered a stroke that led to hemiplegia, or paralysis on one side of her body. Unable to walk and without a wheelchair, Ghetha was often confined to her bed, dependent on others for help.
Kenson was left as the family’s sole provider. Meanwhile, Wadson dropped out of school so that he could be at his mother’s side as her caregiver.
Thanks to friends like you, Ghetha received a new wheelchair from The Walkabout Foundation, one of our distribution partners in Haiti. “This wheelchair will increase my independence,” said Ghetha, “and help me learn to adapt to life with paralysis.” Now, Ghetha can go outside more easily and resume working as a food vendor.
Not only has mobility restored Ghetha’s sense of independence, it has allowed Wadson to return to school and continue his education.
While we often hear stories about parents or other relatives being able to resume work after someone in their care receives a wheelchair, Ghetha’s tale reminds us that young caregivers, like her children, also find renewed freedom, independence, and hope when someone gives them the gift of mobility.
