Hear Joni speak about an exciting new wheelchair called the cub wheelchair that Joni and Friends is now offering to children living with disabilities. If you’d like to find out more about it or how you can gift this wheelchair to a child along with the Gospel, go to joniradio.org.
Hear Joni Eareckson Tada speak about an exciting new wheelchair called the cub wheelchair that Joni and Friends is now offering to children living with disabilities!
See the cub wheelchair in action:
SHAUNA: Hi, this is Shauna on Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope. You know, Joni, it seems like some people are uncomfortable being around people in wheelchairs.
JONI: Well, I have to confess Shauna – I’m one of them. They used to make me feel awkward. When I was on my feet I thought, what would I do if they asked me something? I didn’t want to be placed in an embarrassing situation where I might come across looking foolish. And so, I avoided people who were “confined” to a wheelchair. But then? I broke my neck. And there in the hospital, I saw all sorts of people in wheelchairs. However, I didn’t get to know any of them because I was in bed for months while I went through you know, various surgeries. But after lying down that long? To me, a wheelchair started to look pretty good. And I was grateful for the day when I was strong enough to sit up in a wheelchair. I could finally look at life face-on at a 90° angle rather than from a horizontal position in bed. Powering my own wheelchair down the hallway gave me such a delicious sense of independence. I remember in rehab, wheeling myself to the local Taco Bell down the street from the hospital and returning with tacos in my backpack for all my roommates. And I felt the exhilaration of freedom. I could actually wheel myself “somewhere” and “do” something for someone. Sure, I was still depressed about my quadriplegia, but there were those occasional moments when my wheelchair was anything but confining; it was the next best thing to having legs that walked. And I loved the sense of dignity and freedom that my wheelchair afforded me.
You know, I easily recall those days, especially when I travel overseas with Wheels for the World. As our teams provide a perfectly suited wheelchair for children with disabilities, I watch sad faces become joyful. For many of these people, it’s the first time they’ve been able to look at life face-on at a 90° angle. I recall a 10-year-old girl in Cuba with spina bifida; her name was Isis and she arrived at our Wheels for the World distribution. She was pushing herself in an old rickety airport wheelchair with rusted spokes and flat tires. We fit this young one with a child-sized wheelchair painted pink with streamers on the handles. And I wish you could’ve seen her sad face turn to joy. She was an illustration of Psalm 30 where it says, “[God], you have turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy.” Isis was especially joyful since she and her mother had opened their hearts to Jesus Christ. And her little wheelchair? It was a tangible demonstration of God’s love for them.
But now? Children like Isis have even more reason to be excited. Joni and Friends is now using a brand-new rough terrain-tested wheelchair for children. It’s called the Cub chair, and it is wonderful. A parent can fold the back of this little chair onto its seat, disengage the whole thing, and easily carry it by a handle up a flight of apartment steps. The axle and wheels fold up and can also be carried. It can tilt in space and, as the child grows, its base can widen to accommodate a growing little boy or girl. It comes with an activity tray and an optional third wheel so it can roll more easily on rocky, winding dirt paths. And I tell you; it is a great new addition to our lineup of specialized wheelchairs that we provide for disabled kids. And hey friend, I would love for you to see this amazing little wheelchair at work.
SHAUNA: We’ve posted a video of it at joniradio.org. You can turn a child’s sadness into gladness with the gospel, a Bible, and our new little Cub chair. Find out how at joniradio.org.
© Joni and Friends