Not All Wheelchairs are Created Equally

by John Geyerman

As I sit in the serene hotel courtyard, surrounded by vibrant flowering plants and shrubs, savoring the rich flavors of Guatemalan coffee, I reflect upon the past week. Our journey commenced much like previous Retail ROI trips, with people converging from around the globe, many meeting for the first time, all sharing the anticipation of what lay ahead. Among our group were individuals from diverse places, including Mexico City, Mexico, Toronto, Canada, Deadwood, South Dakota, Long Island, Atlanta, Denver, and Fort Worth.

I had taken on the responsibility of leading this expedition for Retail ROI, marking my inaugural experience with a new partnership, IDEAS, headquartered in Denver. IDEAS operates worldwide across five disciplines, dedicated to fostering stability and strength for underprivileged individuals in communities.

During this particular mission, our focus was on collaborating with a company, Beeline, dedicated to crafting high-quality, sturdy wheelchairs designed for children with severe disabilities, primarily those afflicted by conditions such as spina bifida and cerebral palsy.

Our journey commenced with a tour of the wheelchair manufacturing facility, revealing a profound truth – not all wheelchairs are created equal. The typical drugstore wheelchair, usually constructed from aluminum, lacks the durability required for challenging terrains, especially those in remote areas of Guatemala. Standard wheelchairs tend to deteriorate within 6 to 12 months in such conditions, and their aluminum composition makes them largely irreparable, leading to their abandonment in trash heaps. In contrast, the wheelchairs crafted by Beeline are built from steel and feature reinforced wheels and other components. They are custom-tailored for each individual child and can be continuously adjusted as the child grows and ages. Remarkably, some of the chairs we encountered had been in use by a child for five or more years.

Over the course of the week, we meticulously fitted 19 chairs to children in a variety of settings. The level of precision and care required to adapt each chair to the specific needs of the child astonished me. As these children typically cannot maintain an upright and aligned posture, we had to be extremely attentive to the chair's touchpoints to prevent any discomfort or sores. Factors such as the angle, seat depth, foot pad placement, and leg positioning had to be considered. In total, it took about an hour to an hour and a half to properly fit each chair to a child. Moreover, our team and IDEAS had trained physical therapists who worked closely with parents, instructing them in proper strengthening exercises and therapies to enhance their child's quality of life. This was far from a superficial effort; it entailed providing specific, measured care to these children and their families.

Not only did this work impact the quality of life for the child but also for the entire family. Without exception, each of these children were carried in by a family member or caregiver. Generally, these families would have one family member dedicated to the around the clock care of this child, carrying them everywhere that they went. In most cases, this was literally the first time that the child was able to move about without the assistance of a caregiver or family member. This not only offered incredible independence for the child, but also freed up that caregiver to seek gainful employment and have their own improved quality of life.

I was truly blessed and honored to lead this mission alongside such remarkable individuals. Without exception, every team member fully engaged, contributing in ways that felt comfortable to them. Although many of us had arrived as strangers, we departed as dear and respected friends. Lives were irrevocably transformed, not just for the children and families we aided, but for each one of us fortunate enough to be part of this experience.