The Wheelchair that Waited for Maria

In a room filled with 200 choices, how do you find the “right” wheelchair to meet the needs of your particular client? Yes, you measure for the right height and width and look for the needed adaptations, but how does the right wheelchair really get to the right person? There is only one answer… prayer and the guidance of God, the Holy Spirit.

On this, my second “Wheels for the World” trip as a PT seating specialist, I looked at all the wheelchairs as they were unwrapped, measured, and placed by their size or category. All hands were busy with this organizing task, and as I did my part in this task, one wheelchair caught my attention. It had a blue custom-molded seat back fashioned for someone with a severe scoliosis. It also had the ability to tilt in space and came with a black vinyl covered tray. Many times, throughout our distribution in Trujillo and Chulucanas, I walked past that wheelchair saying to myself, “I can’t wait to see who will get that chair!” And I did wait, as each day passed with no one being fitted in that wheelchair. At our last distribution day, when less than 50 wheelchairs remained as choices for the needed clients, the person the LORD had chosen to receive this special wheelchair came to be fitted.

Her name was Maria. She was 21 and had Cerebral Palsy and needed a chair that would allow her to lay back when needing to rest. We prayed together with Maria and her family for the LORD to guide us in choosing just the right chair to meet her needs. After prayer, the mechanic and I went to the wheelchair rooms and found only one wheelchair left that would meet Maria’s needs. The one the LORD had kept for Maria was the blue custom-molded seat back, with the ability to tilt in space, and came with a black vinyl covered tray.  With just a few adjustments it was made usable for Maria. On the last distribution day, the LORD provided just the right chair for Maria…that wheelchair that waited for Maria to come. We serve an amazing and merciful God who provides for all our needs!

Written by Tina Stalker