MASSACHUSETTS

Nicolai Calabria will soon celebrate the first anniversary of his coming-of-age adventure in Tanzania. Last summer Nicolai, who was born without his right leg and hip, climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro on crutches to raise a container of wheelchairs for disabled Tanzanians. By the time he reached Uhuru Peak Summit in September 2007, he had collected over $95,000! With the help of the nonprofit Shane’s Inspiration, Nicolai returned to Tanzania in December to distribute the chairs on National Disability Day.

Nico has been interviewed on ELLEN and “All Things Considered” on NPR, featured in The Boston Globe and Smithsonian Magazine, and honored by the Boston Celtics and Shane’s Inspiration. He’s an all-star athlete and plays soccer for his school’s travelling league.

At a fundraising dinner in Boston on May 4th, Nicolai was presented with the Ability Through Mobility award by Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, a Gahanna activist also born with one leg who rode his bike across Ghana to raise awareness about the rights of the disabled. Emmanuel’s trek was the inspiration of the feature film Emmanuel’s Gift, one of Nico’s inspirations.

MASSACHUSETTS

Jalil Cruz is 12 years old and in the 6th grade special education class at Wildwood Elementary School in Amherst. Jalil was moved to act when his paraprofessional therapist told him about Free Wheelchair Misson, inspiring him to see the movie Emmanuel’s Gift. Jalil organized a bake sale and earned over $2000 for FWM. He was honored at an assembly where staff and students gave him a standing ovation for his efforts.

MISSOURI

Carol Inman was nominated for the Ability through Mobility award by the 4-H Buffalo Chargers.  Carol has multiple sclerosis that has progressed to the point of quadriplegia. She is the owner, founder, and sole operator of Peaceful Springs- a handicap accessible retreat with a game room, swimming pool, therapy room and equipment, and a recreation room that is used for a weekly, open-invitation fish fry. All of the proceeds from the rentals and the fish fry go strictly to keep the facility open; Profits and tithes provide scholarships to families that provide care for handicapped or ill relatives.  These families have full access to all of the facilities at Peaceful Springs.

Carol is helping to establish two adult daycare centers providing moderate assistance and support to people otherwise capable of remaining independent in their homes. She served on the SCIL Board of Directors for 9 years and has engineered grants for multiple non-profits allowing them to receive the funding needed to continue service to the community.

MISSOURI

Patty Goss was nominated for the Ability through Mobility award by the directors at Habitat for Humanity.  She suffered a stroke in 1994 that resulted in partial paralysis of her left side and partial dependency on a wheelchair.  She was accepted for a home through Habitat in 2004.  Even after she completed the "sweat equity" hours required by the program, Patty came to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore to volunteer. 

Her advocacy of other organizations is widespread: last year she was named "Advocate of the Year" by the Southwest Center for Independent Living (SCIL). Patty raises awareness of Universal Design (to provide handicapped access to all parts of every public facility), endorses Senate Bill 539 to restore basic medical services to the state medic-aid program, and supports the "Ticket to Work Program” which connects handicapped individuals with employers and provides the training, special equipment, and support needed to return to a rewarding and independent life.

According to Gary Maddox, the director as SCIL, "When you meet Patty you will never forget her.  She makes people better for knowing her and has made me a better and more effective director." 

WEST VIRGINIA

Rosemary Front has been a champion for the disabled community of Wheeling for over 30 years. She trained as a Master’s Level Speech Pathologist and has received an Honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from Wheeling Jesuit University.

During the 25 years that she served the Easter Seals (formerly the Wheeling Society for Crippled Children) as Executive Director and President, she worked to develop local disability programs into state-of-the-art, comprehensive rehabilitative services throughout West Virginia and eastern Ohio. Rosemary has served on State, Regional and National Boards, including President Reagan’s Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board where she helped to ensure that men and women with disabilities gained the right to open access to places and resources.

Having been awarded the Ability through Mobility award is an honor and a sensitive reminder of how fortunate I am to have had polio in the United States.  Throughout the 55 years that I have been disabled and the 30 years I worked in the field of rehabilitation, I have seen remarkable changes in the design of mobility aides and in access.  To see emerging countries now beginning their cycle to modern technology through the Free Wheelchair Mission, makes me proud of my support and advocacy of this organization and the part my donation and position can mean to them. -- Rosemary Front

ILLINOIS

Chris Waddell was a promising young skier when, in 1988, a skiing accident left him paralyzed from the waist down. Determined not to allow his injuries to keep him off the slopes, Chris was named to the US Disabled Ski Team two years later. He spent 11 years on the team and became the most decorated male skier in Paralympic history, winning twelve medals over four games.

In addition to his work with the Paralympics and the International Paralympic Committee, Waddell has found success as a motivational speaker. Waddell speaks to the resilience of the human condition, with topics ranging from leadership to adversity to quality of life. He has been featured in numerous publications, including Outside Magazine, Skiing, and National Geographic Explorer. He has also appeared on Dateline and Oprah.

IDAHO

Hernan Reyes survived a car accident in 1993 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. Today he volunteers at the Idaho Elks Rehabilitation Hospital, counseling other patients with spinal cord injuries. Reyes is an extraordinary artist and paints by controlling a brush with his mouth; he even painted a watercolor waterfall landscape for the Free Wheelchair Mission that took 3 months to create.

Hernan is part of an FWM volunteer team that presents to churches and service clubs throughout southwestern Idaho. Although his resources- strength, mobility and money- are extremely limited, he shares his incredible talent and has blessed many people with his faith in Jesus and his optimism. 

IDAHO

Joe Harris was diagnosed in 1997 with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Though he cannot move his body or breathe on his own now, Joe is an active husband, father and the regional Program Manager for Extra Hands for ALS.

His goals involve the creation of an Assistive Technology Borrowing Library for the organization People with ALS (PALS). He is composing an ALS lecture series geared towards adolescents, building an Extra Hands Local Advisory Board, and continuing to focus on creating community relationships for recruitment of students, mentors and PALS. He hopes to aid the organization in raising enough money to be a self-supporting chapter prepared for expansion into the Ontario, Payette, Mountain Home and Magic valley areas.

Joe also operates his own website where men with ALS and their families can come for news, resources, and support. http://www.joesalsadvocacy.com/pages/mystory.htm