Young patient at Harmony Center for the Disabled in Bududburam, Ghana using Pull cart

By technologists

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Meet Sharon Siafa or “Yama” which is her traditional African name.  Joe Worthington, an LPN from Wyoming, has been living in Ghana for the last 6 years working with children with special needs alongside Point Hope. This is his account of how the gift from Mobility Worldwide, in the form of a “Pull” PET cart, helped bring hope to Yama’s family!

I call Yama my first love because she was the first child I started to work with when I came to Point Hope Ghana, almost 6 years ago. According to her mother, Courage, Yama’s development was right on target up to around 8 months of age. At that time, Yama contracted malaria through which she developed a fever that resulted in a seizure that lasted several minutes, causing severe brain damage. Yama was 6 years old when I met her and she was like a newborn baby. She had no head control, could not sit up, and had no speech.

Today Yama is 12 years old and can sit in a chair, has good head control, and can take independent steps about 90 % of the time with assistance.  She still has limited speech, but receives physical therapy 5 days a week, and is the most beautiful and happy child you could ever imagine.  In fact, she can cheer me up just by her presence

Because Yama is developing physically, it was getting impossible for her mom to tote her on her back and there was no other way to transport Yama to her physical therapy appointments, until she received the PET pull cart. The PET cart has been such a blessing—Yama is now able to go out with her family instead of always being left indoors and is easily brought to receive physical therapy. Many thanks to you and may God bless you abundantly. Words cannot express how grateful we are for this special gift.
Peace and Blessings,
Joe