Technical Aid to 25 Cochabambinos w Disabilities

About five years ago, Valentín´s life changed radically. At that time, he was affected by somnambulism and could often be found sleepwalking around his bedroom, which was located on the second floor of his unfinished house. One fateful night, during that state of sleep disturbance, Valentín wandered into the unfinished construction territory. He fell freely for about three meters and his spine hit the floor directly; a fall caused a permanent paralysis in his legs.

From that day, such as everyone who suffers an accident of this nature, he began a process of recovery of his health condition. He underwent surgery in the area of the affected vertebrae but his condition has already become irreversible. Since then, Valetín has been prostrated in a wheelchair.

He lives in the municipality of San Benito where he facces all the typical conditions of a rural area: slightly away from the city-center of the municipality, without public transport and not suitable for people with disabilities, even less for those who use wheelchairs and, finally, the unevenly maintained condition of the streets; he has to combat with bumps, gravel and road without asphalt to come back to his house. One can imagine how complicated it can be to move in a wheelchair when heavy rain of the high valley falls in San Benito.

Four years ago, Valentín received a wheelchair as a donation, but that chair has significantly deteriorated. This is due to several factors: he is a big person and his weight and size are excessive for that wheelchair and as we have already mentioned the floor and roads near his home are slippery.

Those situations have gradually locked up Valentín in his home; confirmed by Don José, head of the Municipal Unit for Attention to Disability in the municipality of San Benito. His health condition is also complicated and he must receive specialized support. A few weeks ago, the person in charge of physiotherapy and rehabilitation of Tukuy Pacha initiated a rehabilitation program in the upper part of his body and upper limbs, since his legs undoubtedly will not work again. In the middle of Valentín’s back is a significant scar, that shows the seriousness of his accident and is the sign of the operation he received. His wife told us that in the accident Valentin also broke his ribs.

This couple from San Benito hopes that the new wheelchair will help to improve Valentín’s mobilization and to be more comfortable to strengthen his arms and trunk.

The decrepit parts of the wheelchair have become so insufficient and painful. Although Valentín will receive a new chair he is aware that he must support the process following a recovery and strengthening program; his wife has been helping him during the process and she hopefully anticipates an improvement of husband’s condition.