Back in 2009 we met a five year old girl at one of the orphanages we were working at. She was placed on a chair, and would watch all of the other kids running around. She was unable to walk due to the muscles in her legs. We were told that when she did try to walk, her balance was so poor that she would fall. She had a sweet hint of a smile in her eyes when we spoke to her. And it was clear that she wanted to be in the mix. She wanted to be with the others. She wanted to be part of the world, not just watching it.
Because Joy has been in foster care, her foster parents worked with her to help improve her balance. She became stronger and was able to move around her home by using crutches. Joy was becoming part of the world she so desperately wanted to be a part of. She especially loves being outside and going to the market with her foster family. Her foster father will take her out using his tricycle, and carries her while out in the community. She goes to school and loves playing with her foster brothers.
Joy is now approaching her 13th birthday. The walker she has been using for the past 8 years is broken, and the crutches she uses in her home are very slippery. She recently told us that her dream is to have her own wheelchair. She wants to be out in the world more independently. She does not want her foster father to carry her, as she worries he will hurt himself. She wishes to use her wheelchair to go out to the park and to go with her foster family to the supermarket. She still has the desire to be part of the world, not only observing it.
Knowing Hope is committed to finding a wheelchair and new walker for Joy to have. Would you be willing to help Joy experience being a part of her world?
Knowing Hope, one life at a time