Greater Mobility

“I climbed a mango tree to pick a mango. When I was climbing down, my foot slipped, and I fell,” says 13-year-old Jameson. “I was afraid to tell anyone because I didn’t want to get in trouble. But after a while, I started to feel pain in my lower back, and I felt that my feet became heavy. I couldn’t lift them.”

Jameson comes from a community called Chantal, towards the end of Haiti’s southern peninsula. For a long time, he didn’t have a wheelchair to help him get around. His father would carry him from place to place—a situation that is, unfortunately, all too common for many Haitians with disabilities. Assistive devices, especially those that are properly sized and adjusted to the user’s specifications, can be very difficult to find. They also wear out quickly on Haiti’s rough terrain.

For more than 13 years, St. Boniface Hospital’s SCI team and our friends at Hope Health Action have been working to provide quality, properly-fitted assistive devices to as many patients as we can. 

Jameson is one of the youngest patients to receive a wheelchair from Hope Health Action. Our staff carefully adjusted every aspect of the chair to meet Jameson’s height and needs. Proper fitting helps ensure the chair moves as it’s supposed to and also protects the user from falls, nerve damage, pressure sores, and other injuries.

Today, Jameson is overjoyed with his newfound independence. “When I needed to move around, my father used to lift me up,” he says. “Now, with this wheelchair, I can get around and go where I want by myself.”