Hoa was born 14 years ago with a condition that prohibits him from moving his knees.

When corrective surgery proved unsuccessful, Hoa was left unable to walk and his lower legs atrophied over time. Hoa had to crawl on his knees to get anywhere, sometimes dragging himself through muddy or filthy roads. His mother grieved, feeling helpless to do anything for her beloved child.

Feeling inferior to others, Hoa avoided school for three years and is only in fifth grade now. His mother takes him to school on a motorcycle, but once they arrive at the gate, Hoa has to crawl to his classroom. He has often thought about quitting school.

Hoa’s mother approached our local distribution partner to apply for a wheelchair. After assessing Hoa’s needs and taking measurements, they fitted him with a new GEN_2 wheelchair. “I feel more confident thanks to the wheelchair,” said Hoa. “Now I don’t have to crawl on my knees and be different from my friends. I can enjoy playing with them now.”

It was the sight of someone crawling across a dirt road years ago that sparked the birth of Free Wheelchair Mission. It was lifting someone off the ground and into a wheelchair for the first time that has kept us doing what we do to give mobility to people like Hoa. Because of you, more than one million people have received the gift of a wheelchair.

Thank you for lifting lives with us. Together, we can lift one million more.

Blessings,

Don Schoendorfer