BEST WHEELCHAIR TRAINING YET

  On Friday and Saturday we did wheelchair training in Makati at the Makati East Stake building.
We got started a little late because some of the participants were told we started at 9am. We prefer to start at 8am and finish by 4pm.
  The group numbered 18 and in our short experience we found that it is a great size for a class. This class was also very talented and learned quickly. We had 2 Bishops from the Stake in our class plus very talented people from the local area. This was the first time that we didn't have class members with disabilities.
  With few exceptions, our new materials worked well. We made notes to revise the revision we had already revised from a revision.

 

 

  On the 2nd day of training, we had 18 people that came to be assessed for a wheelchair. 16 either got a wheelchair at the training or we ordered one for them. One person went home with crutches and another went home with a walker. Our goal is not necessarily to give wheelchairs but to help a person be more mobile by the mobility aid we give them. That sometimes means something other than a wheelchair.
  The first picture above shows a young man with no legs and only a small thumb and a small finger on one of his two arms. Because he has no legs to give him a lower center of gravity, he goes over backward in a wheelchair. We told him we could alter one with wheelie bars on the back, but he preferred the skateboard that he rides.
  The next picture is of a man that is turning 100 years old. He can't hear, which makes conversation very limited. His daughter was there and helped confirm the few questions that needed to be answered.
As he was fitted with the correct wheelchair, he gave Becky a wink. He's got a good thing going and he knows it. What a wonderful man.
  The next gentleman received a walker and was so grateful. We have found that if we put someone in a wheelchair when they can still walk, the leg muscles atrophy and they end up unable to walk. We don't want that to happen before its time.

 

  The next picture is of a 19 year old man that had a hugh lump on his back. it protruded at least 8 inches and made it difficult to sit. He had no use of his legs, but could drag himself around inside of his home. If he went somewhere, his father would carry him. Can you imagine the father's love that it would take to carry your son for 19 years? We tried him in a standard wheel chair, but the hump forced him forward. Not an ideal solution. We then put him in a Rough Rider that has a tilt backwards if positioned right. With a loosening of the back rest, it works. The son was more than happy and you can only imagine what the father was feeling - His son can now go, go, go.
  The last picture is the class that we had just graduated. To us they were 18 new friends.