The holidays are here, and if your kids are like mine, they haven’t a care in the world. They’ve written their letters to Santa–filled with requests for video games, clothes, toys, electronic gadgets and gizmos of all kinds. Their world is full of excess. They have never known real hunger, or real poverty. They have never known war on any personal level. They have never known what it feels like to be unable to move about freely.
The Gift of a Wheelchair
Today, as you read this blog, there are children on the streets of Iraq who are scooting themselves around on the ground, unable to walk. Due to the ravages of war, or birth defects brought about by toxic chemical exposure, these children have permanent, lifelong disabilities. What’s more, they don’t even have what would be a basic possession for a child with an immobilizing disability in the United States—a wheelchair.
The cost of a pediatric wheelchair can amount to several thousand dollars. For the war-torn children of Iraq, that cost is simply insurmountable. So they scoot, crawl, and limp. They try desperately to keep up with their family members or friends, using any means possible, or rely on adults to carry them wherever they go. Life is incredibly difficult for them.
The Cause for Mobility
On a military base in a combat zone in Iraq, a big-hearted civilian by the name of Brad Blauser (currently home for the holidays) has started a campaign to get wheelchairs for these children. He is joined by U.S. soldiers in a great humanitarian effort to show American compassion toward these kids who are in such great need. Through their dedication, they have already provided over a hundred children with their much-needed wheelchairs. These specially-designed pediatric wheelchairs, worth several thousand dollars, have been provided by ROC Wheels.org of Montana at the astoundingly low cost of $200.00 each. These sturdy wheelchairs are suitable for the rugged terrain of Iraq. They’re lightweight and made of aircraft aluminum.
Through the efforts of Brad Blauser and those who have helped his cause, the American soldiers in Iraq are being seen in a new light. Hate, fear, and suspicion have lifted. The citizens of Iraq are observing firsthand the compassion and caring of the American soldiers, and thus, the American people as a whole. And now in the areas where wheelchairs are being distributed, soldiers are no longer being shot at. What a wonderful message of empathy we can send to the Iraqi people by helping their innocent children.
How You Can Help
If you’re considering a family humanitarian service project, think of this one. I haven’t told my children this yet, but I would like to do a family service project to raise funds for at least one wheelchair… that’s $200.00. Certainly with nine of us in our family we can come up with that amount. By washing a few cars or selling some cookies we can provide a child in Iraq with a life-changing gift. This would be a good way to teach my children unselfishness and compassion.
To watch an inspiring video about the Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids effort, click here.
If you would like more information about the Wheelchairs for Iraqi Kids campaign, click here.
If you’d like to know how you could donate funds to purchase a wheelchair, click here. (Each wheelchair costs $200.00, but any donation, no matter how small, would be greatly appreciated.)
To read Brad Blauser’s latest blog post, click here.
As you consider gifts for children this holiday season, why not give the gift of a wheelchair to a child in need?
Kristyn Crow is the author of this blog. Visit her website by clicking here. Some links on this blog may have been generated by outside sources are not necessarily endorsed by Kristyn Crow.
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