Range Rider

RANGE RIDER | FALL-WINTER 2017 13 Brittney started working on a multitude of wheelchair customizations while I began therapy with the child. Two hours into the session, I started feeling discouraged. I had done all the therapy I could and now I was simply talking to fill the time. I felt like I should be helping more, even though I did not know how. Soon after, our team leader, Daniel, came over to me and reminded me that I was not only providing therapy to the child, but also giving his mother the respite care she likely never receives. I then realized that something as small as me holding and interacting with her child can make a huge difference in her life by simply giving her a small break. After seven and a half hours of work, his chair was finally completed. It was customized to the max! His chair had a customized seat, seat back that conformed to the curve in his back, lateral supports, adjusted foot rests, foot straps, adjustable head rest with side supports, chest strap, and a tray. As soon as we got him situated in the chair, we saw his body relax and his mother smile widely. My heart filled with joy to see what the Lord had done that day. In all, we distributed 172 wheelchairs, 80 assistive devices, and treated 195 individuals. The most exciting fact was that 115 patients and family members accepted Christ into their lives as their Lord and Savior. Wheels for the World gave me the opportunity to truly be the hands and feet of the Lord. It was amazing to see lives changed and hearts transformed not only among the patients, but also within our team, including myself. All glory to God! I experienced many emotions over the course of this trip: sadness at seeing the poverty among Peruvians with disabilities, fear that I would not be able to make an impact on their lives, joy at seeing their excitement at receiving an assistive device, and warmth at hearing them gladly accept a prayer for the first time. My heart was bittersweet each time a patient left the clinic because I knew I would likely never see them again. Yet I knew that they would carry this experience with them for the rest of their life. My hope is that they used this experience to share the love of God among their community. Peru taught me that each individual is a person first, that being a patient is second, and that spiritual needs are equally important as physical rehabilitation. I am forever changed by what the Lord set into motion in Lima, Peru. I hope to use all that I learned here as I continue my journey of becoming a physical therapist. —Allison Ball (’18) My heart filled with joy to see what the Lord had done that day.