Hardin-Simmons Doctor of Physical Therapy Travels to Thailand

(ABILENE, Texas)–After playing wheelchair basketball and experiencing Joni and Friends Family Camp earlier this year, the Hardin-Simmons Doctor of Physical Therapy traveled to Thailand for Joni and Friends Wheels for the World mission trip, fitting wheelchairs for people in need.

Carley Hardage standing with Ken Tada.

In July, the Hardin-Simmons Doctor of Physical Therapy spent eight days partnering with Joni and Friends Cause 4 Life and a Thailand-based group RICD Wheelchair Project to donate wheelchairs and other supplies for people with disabilities in need. These groups worked together as they prayed, assessed the needs of each patient, and worked diligently to make sure each wheelchair was safely made and in the best condition.

Along with staff members from the ministry, President of Joni and Friends John Nugent and Joni Eareckson Tada’s Husband, Ken attended and volunteered during the trip. Both men worked alongside HSU students as they took care of patients as well as their families.

Although each patient had different needs, the estimated time to fit each patient totaled about two hours. “Our longest project took us about five hours, and our quickest projects were still about one or two hours,” HSU physical therapy student Carley Hardage explained. “Any time we would find a wheelchair that would work for the patient, we would still have to make a number of modifications for it to be appropriate for the patient.” Modifications for each wheelchair varied from adding padding to the footrests, building cushions for the seat, or drilling holes to adjust the length of the footrest.

There are several steps for fitting a patient into the right wheelchair. First, the patient is assessed and measured and another team member searches for a chair closest to the size and will be best suited for the patient’s lifestyle and needs. Modifications such as such as adding cushions, footrests, and leg straps began immediately after a chair was chosen for the patient. After placing the patient in the chair, another check was done to make sure everything was in working order. Often, the team needed to make further modifications, thus starting the process over.

Because some students in the class did not have frequent prior experiences around wheelchairs, the class attended seminars to learn how to properly use a wheelchair, played wheelchair basketball with professionals, and volunteered as Short-Term Missionaries at Joni and Friends Family Camp for children and adults with disabilities. Each of these experiences were intended to help prepare the students for the mission trip in Thailand by giving them the hands-on experience needed with real people as well as professionals readily available for questions or help if needed at any point.

HSU physical therapy students customize a wheelchair for their patient.

“We learned all about the decision-making process for deciding what type of wheelchair a certain patient needs and about the questions that are necessary to properly provide them with a wheelchair that will meet their desired goals,” said HSU physical therapy student Kacie Fisher regarding a seminar the class attended with an assistive medical device company called Travis Medical. “It was great to be able to see some of the different types of wheelchairs up close and I found it very helpful to understand the main components of a wheelchair before we went on our trip to Thailand.”

Before patients received the wheelchairs, many were struggling to get around from one place to another. “There was one patient that had trouble getting out of bed without help. We went to his home and helped get him a wheelchair he that was accessible for him even when he’s by himself. It was a very long project but so worth it,” said HSU physical therapy student Sarah Lathom.

She continued, “when we were about to leave, his wife was trying to tell us something. Our translator was not with us and we couldn’t understand exactly what she was saying, but we knew she was trying to show us something, so we followed. It turns out, she brought us to a place in their home full of family pictures. That was one of the most special moments we had in Thailand, just sitting there listening to how clearly proud she is about her family. I learned that you don’t have to speak the same language to understand people.”

Wheelchairs were donated from all over the U.S. for this mission trip.

Joni and Friends participate in Wheels for the World every year; however, this was the first time the Hardin-Simmons Doctor of Physical Therapy Department was a partner in the mission.

“It was amazing to see so many patients of different ages and different backgrounds,” said Kacie Fisher. “My group helped a patient that was 90 years old and turned right around and provided an eight-year-old with his first wheelchair.” Over 200 wheelchairs were donated from all over the world to Joni and Friends for this mission trip.