For the third time in as many years, local physical therapist Mike Snow recently traveled to South America as part of a worldwide wheelchair project.
Snow and Matt Daybell, a former Winnemucca resident and fellow therapist, first made the 7,000-mile trip in 2011, and then again in 2013. This time, the two were commissioned with certifying fitters who will oversee the distribution of 2,000 wheelchairs this year.
Snow said it's hard to be away from his family, but said with support and encouragement from his wife, each trip is a great experience.
"When someone who has not been able to get around gets a wheelchair and they see that they can get around by themselves, the first thing you see is a big smile, and that makes it worth all the effort to be there," said Snow, the owner of Rehab Services of Nevada.
The wheelchair project is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Since 2001, LDS Charities has given over 350,000 wheelchairs to individuals in over 90 countries.
So far, Snow and Daybell have spent their time in Uruguay and Paraguay. This fall, the two will travel to Argentina with a goal of distributing another 1,000 wheelchairs in concert with a partnering organization. Next year, they will plan to visit Chile.
"The church is interested in sustainable projects where local organizations take ownership of the project and buy into our philosophy of helping people help themselves," said Snow.
"The church sees the wheelchairs, not as a handout, but as a tool which helps people get jobs and provide for themselves and their families."
He added, "The wheelchair helps people break out of the cycle of poverty and become integrated in their community. It not only gives people the dignity to provide for themselves, but to help others."
Snow said there are currently 70 million people in the world who need wheelchairs, "so this is an ambitious project," he said.
He said in many parts of the world men are given preferential treatment and receive the majority of wheelchairs.
Snow said the church is concerned about this. "In the training I provide it is unmistakably clear that we give the chairs to those in need: the poorest of the poor with no consideration for race, gender, or religion," he said.
Snow said the church even requires partnering organizations to keep records and send in monthly reports. "They expect there to be an even distribution between men and women," he said.
Snow said he loves the trips, but they're certainly not a vacation. "I always think I am going to have some time to see the sights," he said, "but usually there is no spare time."
In fact, Snow and Daybell find there is actually very limited time to do what they need to do: educate as many therapists, nurses and physicians as possible on how to properly fit a wheelchair.
"We try to cram as many trainings as possible into a 7- to 10-day period," he said.
"No matter where I go, I fall in love with the people and their culture. Helping people with disabilities have a shot at a job or an education, or the ability to integrate into society, that is making a difference and I am happy to play a small part in the process."
During this most recent outreach, Snow and Daybell traveled to Asuncion, Paraguay-a follow-up to last year's trip where they trained representatives from two different organizations.
Snow said each organization has been successful in distributing 1,000 of the donated wheelchairs-and they're ready for more. "But due to employee turnover and some improvements in the wheelchairs, we felt we needed to return for additional training."
Snow said once there are trained and certified professionals in each country with experience fitting wheelchairs, LDS Charities will send 1,000 wheelchairs per year to each partnering organization in that country.
This time, 43 people from the two organizations in Asuncion, Paraguay "graduated" with the needed wheelchair certification, and will now be ready to fit and distribute the next round of wheelchairs. To test out their newfound skills, the group helped fit 16 patients.
Snow said one patient was a medical student who suffered a spinal cord injury after jumping into a swimming pool; he is now finishing his last year of medical school.
"Even though it happened several years ago, I could feel some sense of how heartbroken his mother was when he became paralyzed," said Snow. "She said as a doctor he is very understanding and sympathetic with his patients. This specialized wheelchair that the church has donated will allow him to independently travel down the rough roads of Asuncion."
Another young man with osteogenesis imperfecta, a disease in which bones break easily and do not grow normally, arrived at the clinic with his mother and younger brother.
"He has had about 20 broken bones in his legs and is about 19 or 20 years old," said Snow. "He was so happy to have a wheelchair."
Snow said each patient has his or her own story, but thanks to LDS Charities, each story can now have a greater chance at a happy ending.
"I recognize we can't fix all their challenges," said Snow, "but I am glad we can be of some help and alleviate some of the difficulty."
He added, "All of this charity work is made possible because families, whether they are wealthy or poor, make a sacrifice and donate to help others in need."
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