Stories from Kenya: Wheelsblog Kenya 2018 - Day 6
The Wheels for the World team are working around Elburgon, Kenya from the 5th to 15th September, bringing wheelchairs to disabled people around the area, and changing lives with the gift of mobility. We'll be putting up their blog posts just as often as the internet connection lets them send them - here's just one story of many from Day 6 from team member Jill. Please do keep praying for everyone involved with the distribution, and for everyone who receives a chair or mobility aid.
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Josephine is a 50 year old lady who had polio aged 12. She attended a school for the disabled where she was given callipers. She has been a single parent but her sons are at boarding school now, and she lives alone. She arrived in a taxi, following a 3 hour journey, and struggled with elbow crutches and callipers to walk to the distribution.
Her walking was very laboured as both her feet turned in, and her hips did not extend, so her back was hollowed and callipers held her knees straight. She rose from the chair by turning over and pushing on her arms.
On discussion there was some misunderstanding as I thought she was able to crawl without the callipers, so I asked her to take them off. Her legs were completely flaccid and lifeless. I asked her to get in the wheelchair and she said she would be unable to do this without her callipers, so we put them back on and she got up and sat in the chair we had found for her. She was happy to sit with her legs sticking out in front, and able to propel the chair and move about without so much pain and effort. She was pleased with the chair, and we were really glad to see her able to move about more easily, and have greater accessibility to her tailoring business.
