ROC Your Vacation Testimonials Part 2

Puerto Vallarta Wheelchair Distribution

Meet Osmar, and his parents. Osmar’s mother, Angelita told the ROC Wheels team the wheelchair will help Osmar with his posture. She shared, “The wheelchair means Osmar can now go out with them, and they won’t have to carry him.”

Like many children and their families affected by disabilities, Osmar and his parents have been ostracized by his friends and their family. Now he can play with them. Not only was this a life-changing experience for Osmar, but his father prayed with one of the ROC Wheels support team members, Juan Carlos, and received Christ.

Boy in new wheelchair at the Mexico distribution

The Blessing She Had Waited For

Smiles and hugs were the theme of the ROC Wheels team’s encounter with Valentina. There was so much joy, love, and acceptance offered by Valentina as the distribution team started assessing and fitting her for an adaptive wheelchair. Her attentive mother, Raquel, shared what this chair meant for Valentina and their family.

Raquel stated: “The chair will comfort her body. She will be able to go outside and play. It will be less stressful, and she can enjoy life more.”

What we so often miss when thinking about children with disabilities is the stress and burden caring for a child like this can cause the family. The physical toll of having to carry a child as they grow caused Raquel to need several hernia surgeries. Raquel told the ROC Wheels team; “the chair will be a big help. This is the blessing she’s been waiting for.”

One of the ROC Wheels team commented; “As soon as I started blowing bubbles, she grinned and continued to respond to everyone around her. Her mom and sister were so attentive and loving to her.”

More Than A Vacation

We were part of the recent ROC Your Vacation trip to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The vacation with friends was fun. The ROC wheelchair distribution event was remarkable.

We were driven to downtown Puerto Vallarta to a facility where the wheelchairs were unboxed and fitted for the children. The children ranged from about six years of age to about age twelve. As we planned our trips, each of us were given the opportunity to bring small age-appropriate gifts for the children, and we handed out the gifts during the fitting process. We brought a Spanish language children’s book for each child; others brought bubbles and others gave stress balls. All of this eased the unfamiliarity of the process for the little ones and their families.

Each child’s disability was different, and each situation was assessed by physical therapists which ROC Wheels brought to the facility for the event – skilled, kind, caring professionals. In one situation, it was necessary to have an x-ray to assist in fitting the child to the chair – taking into consideration the child’s unique orthopedic needs. The child and his parents were driven to a local hospital for the test. One of us accompanied the family and the driver. The father spoke fluent English (and the child spoke enough English to make evident that he was a bright boy – so much curiosity and awareness).

The father spoke about his life – their lives – and how much potential the family has and how much heartache they have experienced. It was a blessing to share time with them. The father carried the child, who was probably about 12 years old, as they walked into the clinic, during the car ride to the hospital, in and out of the hospital, and back to the clinic. After the fitting, they walked home – the child in a wheelchair for the first time.