Ashley’s Wheelchair Changed her Life and Relieved her Mother’s Struggles
“Wherever I go, I’m on my own. It’s just me and Ashley.” – Yolanda
Meet six-year-old Ashely and her mother Yolanda, who live in Peru. Ashley has significant disabilities and started having seizures as a baby, forcing Yolanda to live in the hospital with her daughter for three months. Since then the seizures have continued, sometimes up to 25 per day. It is a traumatic experience for both Ashley and Yolanda, who cares for all her children with little to no help.
“I can never leave Ashley alone. If I laid her on the couch or the bed, she would roll off, fall on the floor, and hurt herself. I learned how to tie Ashley to my back using a sheet, and I carried her with me everywhere I went until she was 17 months old,” says Yolanda.
Watching their mother carrying Ashley on her back, Yolanda’s children tried to offer a solution. They collected what money they could and bought a wagon for Yolanda to use to pull Ashley. But because Ashley can’t sit up and the wagon had no way to secure her in place, it wasn’t a safe option for her transportation. It was also too difficult for Yolanda to maneuver with Ashley in it. So Yolanda resorted once again to carrying Ashley on her back with a sheet.
Praying for Help
As a believer, Yolanda has prayed for her daughter over the years, asking for healing and help. While Ashley’s seizures continue to this day, they have become more manageable. Still, as a single mother with multiple children to feed and care for, Yolanda struggles to meet all their needs. And she could never afford a wheelchair for Ashley.
But life changed for Yolanda’s whole family when they came to our Wheels for the World™ outreach in Peru where our team selected and customized a wheelchair to fit Ashley perfectly. Yolanda shared what Ashley’s first wheelchair means for her as a mother:
“I’m very happy. This wheelchair from Joni and Friends will help me a lot. And it’s very easy to handle. I don’t have to struggle anymore!”
You can make a difference for families like Yolanda’s!
Today Ashley enjoys new mobility and life experiences because of her wheelchair. And Yolanda knows she is not alone, even as a single mother. She has relocated and moved in with her sister, finding support in her new community. Best of all, Yolanda knows that God is with her—she is never alone.
You can be part of delivering the tangible love of Jesus to people living with disability. When you volunteer with Wheels for the World, give financially, or pray for the ministry of Joni and Friends, you bring our vision to life—a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ!
“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.”
Zephaniah 3:17
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