Partnership Spotlight: Free Wheelchair Mission
We are excited to celebrate 10 years in partnership with Free Wheelchair Mission which began when Faith In Practice piloted a wheelchair clinic program in 2016. Through this partnership, Faith In Practice has received more than 16,000 wheelchairs and our mission teams have been able to assemble and distribute wheelchairs and other mobility aids to almost 3,000 Guatemalan patients annually.
Free Wheelchair Mission is a humanitarian, faith-based nonprofit that designs and manufactures cost-efficient, durable wheelchairs for developing countries around the world. Their mission is to provide the transforming gift of mobility to people with disabilities in developing countries, as motivated by Jesus Christ. In collaboration with a network of like-minded partners like Faith In Practice, Free Wheelchair Mission has distributed more than 1.5 million wheelchairs to people living with disabilities in 95 developing countries around the world, providing renewed dignity, independence, freedom, and joy through the gift of mobility, at no cost to the recipient.
The Mobility Program that began with only a handful of mobility clinic components on Faith In Practice mission teams, grown significantly to include nearly all of our medical clinic and Hilario Galindo surgery teams, and several Obras surgery teams. In 2024, we even launched our first U.S. volunteer-led mobility precision teams. These smaller teams dedicated solely to serving mobility patients are able to travel to more remote areas and serve patients who otherwise would not have access to this type of healthcare.
During a mobility clinic, patients receive a medical consultation by a physician who evaluates their health needs and treats any ongoing health issues. If necessary, they are referred for surgery by one of our surgical mission teams. Patients then meet with a physical therapist who fits them with the proper mobility aid, which can be a wheelchair, crutches, a walker, or a cane. Most patients receive a wheelchair, assembled at the clinic by dedicated wheelchair assembly volunteers. Physical therapists then work with patients to make sure their wheelchair fits correctly, teach them exercises to maintain strength, and show them how to properly move in and out of their chair to avoid pressure sores.
We are excited to share that Free Wheelchair Mission has developed a new wheelchair—GEN 4 JOY—that lasts twice as long and is more portable. Faith In Practice was key to testing out this new wheelchair in May and June 2025, with the full rollout coming soon.
The wheelchairs and mobility aids that our patients receive are truly life-changing for them and for their caregivers. Oftentimes, patients have spent years relying completely on their family members to carry them around and support them with all their daily needs. Mobility patients tend to present with a number of health issues that result from not having proper mobility aids or treatment for their injuries or conditions. The wheelchairs our patients receive allow them to better navigate their surroundings, live with dignity and independence, and live longer, healthier lives.
This amazing work could not be achieved without the partnership between Faith In Practice and Free Wheelchair Mission and we are so grateful God brought us together to serve the people of Guatemala.
—-
To learn more about Free Wheelchair Mission visit: Free Wheelchair Mission
Other Newsletter Stories
Devotional
Volunteer Story
Guatemala Updates
Patient Story
View More Stories
