From Heartbreak to Hope: New Life for Vicki’s Wheelchair

By Joni and Friends|Published On: January 3, 2023|Categories: Wheels For The World|

“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13

Meet Vicki:

Scott and Laura adopted Vicki when she was a baby.

“Vicki enjoyed life even though she lived in a body that didn’t work very well,” says Scott.

Always smiling, Vicki exuded joy and made others happy everywhere she went—whether she was at home, out in her community, or at Family Retreat.

When she died unexpectedly the day after Mother’s Day at 27 years old, Scott and Laura’s hearts were left broken beyond belief. They held on to Vicki’s purple wheelchair.

Joni and Ken smiling down at Vicki at Family Retreat.

As Scott said: “We just couldn’t let it go. But then we decided the best way to honor Vicki and her memory would be to donate her wheelchair to another family so they could enjoy the freedom of mobility. We asked Joni and Friends if we could go on the Wheels for the World™ trip that would deliver Vicki’s wheelchair to someone in need, and they said, ‘Yes!’”

Scott and Laura joined our Wheels for the World outreach to Mexico, not just as donors, but also as volunteers. They prayed over Vicki’s chair and asked God’s blessing over the child who would receive it. Little did they know that while they were trusting the Lord to match Vicki’s wheelchair with the perfect recipient, a family in Guadalajara, Mexico was desperately seeking a miracle for their own daughter…

Liz with her mother and her father on either side of her as she's seated in her new wheelchair.

Meet Liz:

Liz was diagnosed with a brain tumor when she was two years old. She had successful surgery at that time and went on to live an abundant life.

Then, when Liz was 15, the tumors returned, and she needed additional brain surgeries. Liz’s parents believed that removing the tumor would bring with it another amazing success story, but instead the surgery left Liz with profound disabilities.

Her father, Francisco said, “The doctor said our daughter’s brain got used to living with that tumor. The tumor was right in the middle of her brain in the part that orders the body to move.”

After surgery, Liz was left severely disabled; her family didn’t have access to the kind of wheelchair Liz needed.

“We looked everywhere for help,” says Francisco.

“Liz looks so beautiful in Vicki’s chair.” – Scott

At the Wheels for the World outreach in Guadalajara, Scott and Laura met Liz and gave her Vicki’s beloved purple wheelchair. Scott expertly adjusted the chair to fit Liz.

Scott and Laura also shared Vicki’s story with Liz and her family; after hearing it, Francisco grabbed his heart with both hands, overwhelmed with gratitude.

A group photo of the Price's with Liz and her parents as she's seated in her new wheelchair.

“Joni and Friends changed us all and gave our girl joy! Vicki will always be with us. Every time we look at the chair, we see Vicki, too,” said Francisco.

“Wheels for the World communicates that God loves people with disabilities,” says Laura. “This wheelchair is so much more than life here and now—it opens the door to life with Jesus for eternity.”