Wheelchair Training

 Wow!  What an amazing week we've had with Elder and Sister Garey, the wheelchair trainers for the Southern Asia Area.  They are amazing people.  They are service missionaries who live in their own home in Oregon. She is a physical therapist and he worked in construction.  The perfect match for wheelchair trainers.  He trained the technicians on how to assemble chairs and then adjust them to meet the individual needs of the people.  She trained the clinicians on how to assess the individual's needs and choose which type of wheelchair would best fit them, measure the patient so the wheelchair would fit "just right".  I didn't know how much went into properly fitting wheelchairs.  

Elder Garey training the technicians

Sister Garey teaching the clinicians. 

The best way to learn is to do.

 So everyone took a turn in a wheelchair so they can feel what it's like to be in a wheelchair

 and then teach the patients how to use their wheelchair.

Handing out certificates of completion of the wheelchair training. 

Graduates of the wheelchair training course. 

Celebration!!  Lots of dancing!

Recipients

She is my favorite. She is 12 years old and has cerebral palsy.

  Her younger brother carried her in from the car.  

When she first sat in her new wheelchair, many of her involuntary movements lessened. 

This chair will not only bless her life, but will ease the burden on her family. 

He had a stroke which left his left side nonfunctional. 

Note the chair was adjusted so his right foot could reach the ground

so he could propel himself.

 This adjustment will give him greater independence

Diabetes is common among the island people.

Unfortunately so are amputations because of it.