Knights of Columbus at Prince of Peace Church in Plano, TX and St. Raphael Church in Springdale, AR held “Wheelchair Sunday” parish drives to sponsor the delivery of brand new wheelchairs to people in need of mobility.
Between the two congregations, $42,000 was raised to sponsor a 280-wheelchair container to the Teleton Children’s Rehabilitation Center (CRIT) in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico.
The Teleton organization operates 22 world-class rehabilitation centers for children throughout Mexico, and is one of the most valuable distribution partners of the American Wheelchair Mission. Through their medical and holistic approach, children who would otherwise be sentenced to a life of inactivity can now go to school and have a more independent lifestyle.
Visiting Knights from Plano and Dallas, Texas, and elementary school teacher Cathy Crouch, representing St. Raphael in Springdale, AR, helped distribute 280 wheelchairs to children of all ages at the Teleton center in Guanajuato.
Parents carried heavy teenagers to their first wheelchair, and the relief on their faces was immediate. Each child receiving a wheelchair gave a thank you note to one of the visitors.
Children on crutches and with walkers sped around in their new yellow “Ferraris” with big smiles on their faces.
The following day, the team visited four homes of teenagers unable to come get their wheelchairs the previous day. Three were immobile from birth, but one boy suffered a spinal chord injury when his friends jumped on his back, and now relies on a wheelchair for mobility.
Bill Weber from Plano, TX said, “This is the most wonderful experience I can ever remember. So many people told us that we answered their prayers. If that isn’t doing God’s work on earth, I don’t know what is. I am so proud to be here representing our parish and the Knights of Columbus.”
The team saw the beauty and safety of the towns of Guanajuato, Silao, Leon, Irapuato, and San Miguel de Allende, and came home with many wonderful stories to tell.
The Global Wheelchair Mission has delivered over 4,000 wheelchairs to the Teleton Centers for Children in the past three years, and is continuing to expand the program in cities throughout Mexico with the support of Knights and “Wheelchair Sundays” across North America.
