Puerto Vallarta: Wheelchairs Make a Difference

“I can’t think of too many things that can make a significant difference in people’s lives, but the Wheelchair Foundation makes a major difference every day.”

With these words, Rick Todd, a Rotarian from California’s District 5300, succinctly summed up a successful wheelchair distribution in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. He vowed to return soon with even more wheelchairs for the needy and disabled residents of this seaside community. Arturo Vazquez Serrano and other members of Rotary in Puerto Vallarta assisted with the distribution. When recipients were unable to show up to receive a wheelchair in person because of a disability, the wheelchair was delivered to their homes.  Rotarians also shared in the life-changing impact a free wheelchair provides. “I felt a lot of emotion while seeing the recipients of wheelchairs,” said Ed Biebrich. “I saw children who were emotionally and developmentally disabled who, for the first time in their lives, were able to move around independently. The people were fantastic. It was a gratifying experience.