Robby’s Wheelchair and the Love of Jesus Changes His Family’s Life 

The afternoon is dragging on, damp and heavy. It’s like somebody put a lid over Manila and turned up the heat…  

Patricia looks over at Robby, her eight-year-old brother who lives with cerebral palsy. He has been watching videos for the past hour—or maybe longer. Thanks to Robby’s patience, she has managed to get some studying done. She is taking courses in hospitality management so that one day her family can have more than this… a dark, cramped space that is too often Robby’s whole world. As Patricia says: 

“Sometimes I can see in Robby’s face that he’s sad. He wants to be like the other children who normally walk and play outside. But he’s always positive. He’s a positive kid. He can use his hands and feet to use the remote control to watch TV and YouTube… videos of kids doing fun and funny things.” 

Robby laughs, eyes locked on the screen in front of him. But when a child’s peal of laughter drifts in from the street, he looks up from the video. His smile fades and his body writhes with discomfort. He’s suddenly restless, wondering what it would feel like to jump up and join the others. If he could just get out there, he could make friends. He can speak clearly and understand what’s going on around him. But in this moment, there is only the dim heat of the house. 

The Impact of Poverty on Access to Wheelchairs

For years Robby and Patricia’s mom, Marjorie, has carried her son wherever he needs to go. Because he lacks muscle control, Robby can’t help Marjorie hold onto him. So, as he has grown, his world has collapsed, shrinking to the distance Marjorie can carry him. And she has ached to see her son stuck in the house, living vicariously through influencers who make funny videos. As she says: 

“Robby is very bright. Really he wants to walk and play with others. But he’s always smiling and cheerful.” 

Marjorie adores her children. She thanks God for their lives and would do anything for them. In the moments she can string together, Marjorie works for a food-delivery business. But Robby’s needs require round-the-clock care, and Patricia needs time to work toward a better future. This means that income is scarce. And with daily basics barely covered, there was no way for Marjorie to provide Robby with the wheelchair he needed. 

A Wheelchair for Robby and New Hope for his Family 

When Marjorie learned that Joni and Friends was holding a Wheels for the World™ outreach in the Philippines, she brought Patricia and Robby in hopes of getting a wheelchair. They arrived to a warm welcome. And after getting acquainted with the family and hearing about Robby’s needs, our therapists and mechanics got to work. The team took their time customizing a brand-new Cub wheelchair for Robby, with features to maximize comfort and safety, and a detachable third wheel for navigating uneven terrain. 

Not only did Robby’s wheelchair fit him perfectly the moment he got seated; because of its adjustable components, the Cub wheelchair will accommodate his growing body for years to come. And because it can collapse, the wheelchair will fit in the tight space of the family’s one-room home. 

While Robby’s wheelchair was being fitted, Patricia, Robby’s sister had a conversation with one of our team members, who gave her a bracelet with beads symbolizing elements of the Gospel story. Patricia lit up as she grasped the truth of the Gospel in a new way. And her gratitude only increased as she watched her brother sit in his new wheelchair for the first time, with a wide smile on his face. 

“I am very thankful and happy for my brother to be given a chance to go outside, to see the world and have friends and have more activity outside the house,” said Patricia. 

She, Robby, and Marjorie know that life will be different now—and that God will see them through all the challenges life brings. 

When you support Joni and Friends by donating, you change the lives of people with disabilities, now and for eternity!