“Milagro Rodriguez is a 7 year old that was born with Spina Bifida. She lives in an impoverished community of make shift homes in Managua Nicaragua in a 14’x14’ corrugated tin building with 5 other family members.
Until recently, the only way she had to get around was in a stroller for a baby or in the arms of her mother. Of course, as she has grown, it has become more uncomfortable to ride in the stroller and her mother was finding it more and more difficult to carry her in her arms everywhere they needed to go.
In August, Diane Wheatley, was visiting Nicaragua with a mission group from North Carolina and examined Milagro. At that moment, the young girl and her plight entered the kind and giving heart of Diane which set out to find a wheelchair to help her have a more fulfilled life. Having met Milagro in the end of her visit did not leave Diane much time to react. She quickly found a local trusted contact and left money with them to find the young child a wheelchair. Her local contact did the best they could being in a country that many resources are hard to find and purchased a used wheelchair quickly. Unfortunately, it was adult sized and did not allow much comfort for a child so small.
Diane and I had met casually in the lobby of a hotel in Managua the night before she was leaving and I had explained a little to her about ERSLA. Upon receiving the news and a photo of Milagro in the chair it was obvious that her gift had not met 100% of her intentions, she asked me if ERSLA could assist to make it better for Milagro. “I want this child to receive all the assistance available to her.” said Diane.
ERSLA visited the family, met the doctors helping the child and talked with experts on Spina Bifida to learn more specifically what could be done for her. Nicaragua being a country that is difficult to find specialized resources (partly because the streets are unnamed), we decided to spend some time around crowded shopping malls to find people in wheelchairs that could lead us to custom craftsmen that could build a chair specifically for Milagro and her needs. Soon we were taken to a small shop in Managua called “Fundacion para la Movilidad Independiente”. The gentleman that constructed her wheelchair was once a very talented athlete, but had lost his legs in a land-mine incident. We took Milagro to get measured for her wheelchair.. We made sure that Milagro and her mother knew that this chair was to be made to their wishes and they began telling the craftsman exactly what they would like. It was obvious they had been dreaming of this for a long time. While they were measuring her for her chair, we asked Milagro if she was excited to be getting a new wheelchair made just for her. She said “Yes, because now I can go to school on my own!”
With the help of Dianne and other donors to ERSLA, we were able to gather the rest of the money needed to get the wheelchair made quickly.
Wednesday, we got the call the wheelchair was ready. Immediately we went to pick it
up. It was special made exactly to the wishes of Milagro and her mother, even with a removable desk top so she can sit comfortably in her small classroom without having to be carried.
Thursday morning we met her mother and surprised Milagro at school with all her friends around to see her new “wheels”. She was so excited, but what was amazing was to see the excitement in her friends to know she could now move around easier in class.
Being the first time in her 7 years of life, she has been able to move around independently was quite a moment. She will need a little practice, but to witness her push herself around was very much like watching a child take their first steps. Absolutely amazing progress toward her independence in life. We walked with Milagro as she wheeled herself down the rough dirt road toward her house for the first time without any assistance. While she practiced turning and backing up in the yard in front of her house we asked her what she was most excited about now that she had the wheelchair. She said “now I get to play with my friends instead of just watch them”
Thank you Diane and all the others who selflessly gave to help a child in need have more opportunity in life.”
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