Wheels for the World Gives Double Mobility and New Hope to Twins Renatta and Melany
“Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves.”
Psalm 68:19–20
It’s one thing to endure life with a disability in a developing nation… it’s quite another when there’s “double the disability.”
Renatta and Melany are five-year-old twins who struggle with developmental delays, microcephaly, and hip dislocations. Just 15 days after their premature birth, they required heart surgery. Given the impoverished part of Mexico in which they live, scraping together enough money for all their medical expenses often proves difficult for the twins’ family.
Over the past five years Renatta and Melany have needed countless follow-up visits to the hospital. And the only way the twins could be transported was in a double stroller designed for infants. But Renatta and Melany are no longer infants. Their bodies are growing and so is their need for independence. Yet while their parents labor to keep food on the table, their income would never be enough to afford even one wheelchair for their girls, let alone two!
As their mother Paulina said, “Sometimes the burden is too big. But I never lost hope. I prayed to God…”
An Answer to Prayer
When Paulina heard that our Joni and Friends Wheels for the World team planned to hold a wheelchair distribution in Guadalajara, she packed up her girls in their worn-out infant stroller and headed our way. She brought her mother and grandmother with her, along with the twins, to our Wheels for the World outreach. Together, four generations experienced a double blessing when Renatta and Melany received not just one wheelchair, but two! Their family also heard the Gospel and received Bibles in Spanish.
“My grandma cried a lot because she was so happy. And I was very, very happy, too. That’s why I was crying so hard. Joni and Friends treated my girls with love and care. You made my dream come true! My girls have their own wheelchairs, and I am very grateful. God bless you all!” says Paulina.
Praise be to the Lord who daily bears the burdens of disabled children like Renatta and Melany! Just look at them, sitting upright in their sturdy, well-fitted wheelchairs while their family beams over such an abundant gift! These girls received their wheelchairs in the nick of time—they had completely outgrown that infant stroller! Whether it’s across the ocean or right here at home, families living with disabilities share one primary need for the only true hope that can carry them into eternity.
They need Jesus, which is why the Gospel is at the heart of everything Joni and Friends does—here in the United States and all over the world.
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Joni and Friends volunteers make 98% of our ministry programming happen! Join us to bring hands-on help and Gospel hope to people with disabilities, at home and across the globe. Find your opportunity to make a difference!
