"Mormons Hand Out Rough Riders"

That was the title of the Gleaner newspaper article about our wheelchair training and donation.  Although the name Rough Rider is appropriate for the type of chair we are providing, the brand is also used on a small rectangular box kept behind the counter at the pharmacies here in Jamaica -  yep, condoms, and thus the heading will probably improve the readership more than a mundane moniker  such as "LDS Roll Out New Chair".

Getting the chairs ready.  Were we grateful for an air compressor.  This is a Rough Rider chair.

Steve Spencer, PT, teaching the 1st class.

It was April when we started working on the wheelchair project for Jamaica.  We had to convince our partner, Food for the Poor (that didn't take much effort) to participate in the training program which the Church requires for wheelchair distribution.  Once it's decided to do the project, we write the project, get it approved, order the chairs, put all the details together to actually make it happen.  We weren't the only ones working on this, our good friends Kelvyn and Kay Cullimore, the specialists from Salt Lake guided us through the whole thing.  We are grateful for mentors.  The program is taught by physical therapists the Church selects who travel here and conduct 2-days of training and one-day of actually applying what is learned by fitting people for wheelchairs.  Fitting people for a wheelchair you ask?  What's that all about?  It's about preventing life threatening pressure sores and other health risks.  It's about selecting the right type and size of chair to help the person be comfortable and confident, and teaching them how to properly use them and care for them.  We  arranged for about 30 people to come to the training; one-half came Mon, Tues, Wed and one-half came Thurs, Fri, Sat.  The people who were trained fitted 24 people with new wheelchairs on Wednesday and 28 wheelchairs on Saturday.  Those were the paydays for us!  What a wonderful experience.

This is how you use the wrench we gave each student.  At first, she didn't want to be there.

Assessing the patient is critical to understanding the person.

We had great students from 14 different agencies that deal with people with disabilities.  There was one nurse who came grudgingly (no one trained at your facility means no wheelchairs for your facility, so she came).  About one hour into the training, she was one of our best students and could not tell us enough how much she was learning.  That happened over and over with several professionals who attended.  This is a great program and our partner is now distributing wheelchairs to those agencies who have certified fitters. 

Just a few of the stories:
This young man came in with no wheelchair.  He had been shot several months earlier and was now paraplegic.  I watched the fitting and he received one of the "Rough Riders" -- kind of a sports car model wheelchair.  I saw him outside using the chair and saw a young woman watching.  I asked her if she knew him and she told me she was his girlfriend.  The conversation was, 'He looks like he can really use that chair,'  she said, 'It's been a long time since I have seen him smile like that.'  The people in the yellow shirts are the class participants.  Garfield (on the right) uses a wheelchair all the time.  He even received a new one after the training -- fitted just for him.

He is a gunshot victim.

Then, there's the mother who has one arm, no legs, and her chair was literally falling apart.  Look at how her life will be changed.

Nothing stops some people from life.

This man has no legs and he juggles on the street as a way to make some cash.  His old chair had high arms and it was difficult for him to be flexible and juggle.  The streamlined chair with low arms gives him lots of mobility.  I asked if he wanted to have the foot rest removed and he immediately told me, no ma'm, that's for my bag of juggling equipment.

The foot rest will be used for his bags!

The children are extremely sweet.  I could not imagine living in a wheelchair my whole life.  This little gal could not stop smiling.  She came in, in a very small wheelchair.  She has to wheel herself to school over dirt roads.  Wow, what a joy it will be to use this new chair.

On Saturday, October 30, I turned 60 years old.  What a way to spend my birthday -- seeing these people smile, change their lives, and find joy in this program.  These few chairs are only the tip of the iceberg, we had 500 chairs shipped.  The worth of one soul is great in the eyes of the Lord.  Thanks to all who donate to this program.  We'll see whether the headline proves to be an attention getter or not.

Two Rough Riders growing old together.