Doing Good in the World
by Emma Dixon
For parents of children at the Institute of Cerebral Palsy of Azuay in Cuenca, Ecuador, the recent arrival of eight specialized wheelchairs was about far more than new equipment.
Because of their disabilities, some of the kids cannot sit upright without support and must be carried from place to place. The pediatric postural wheelchairs – courtesy of the Rotary Club of Oviedo – offer comfort, stability, and a measure of independence, giving those families one less daily struggle to shoulder alone.
The wheelchair donation was part of a $37,000 global grant from the Oviedo Rotary Club to the institute for critically needed medical and rehabilitation equipment. Known as the IPCA, the institute serves 153 patients ages three to 42, many with multiple disabilities.
The Oviedo Rotary Club is one of more than 35,000 clubs worldwide that make up Rotary International, a global service organization. Along with providing an avenue for collaboration among business-minded people, the Oviedo Club strives to serve the community it calls home and support communities much farther afield.
The Common Denominator
The link between the Rotary Club of Oviedo and Ecuador? That would be Diana Sacoto, a native of Cuenca, an Oviedo resident, and a member of the Oviedo Club.
Diana’s 19-year-old son, Jose, lives with autism, which made this outreach project even more meaningful to her.
“As a parent of a child with special needs, IPCA is deeply personal to me,” she says. “I know firsthand the painful moment of learning your child has special needs and the daily struggles that follow.”
IPCA provides weekday care and therapy to its clients, giving parents the opportunity to work and support their families. The specialized wheelchairs have offered a much-needed lifeline to the families, many of whom live in poverty and have no car. Diana was able to be in Ecuador when the chairs were delivered, and witnessing the moment made a lasting impact on her.
“Seeing the overwhelming gratitude from the parents meant everything to me,” she says.
The Oviedo Club’s grant also funded a therapeutic massage bed – which helps reduce pain and muscle stiffness and prevent atrophy – patient-transfer lifts, additional mobility equipment, ultrasound and electro-stimulation devices, speech therapy materials, spinal therapy equipment, and a pediatric external defibrillator.
Before the outreach project, the institute provided about 480 therapy sessions each month. With the new equipment, IPCA staff hope to increase that number to 1,200 a month.
Building Bridges
Alex Sacharoff, a longtime Oviedo Rotarian, helped guide the project from its earliest stages through completion. He says Diana’s knowledge of Ecuador, understanding of its culture, and local connections gave the project the solid foundation it needed.
“My experience has been that the most successful global grants have strong partnerships,” says Alex, who has worked with Rotary grants for 14 years.
In this case, those partnerships included the Rotary Club of Santa Ana de los Ríos de Cuenca, which served as the host Rotary Club in Ecuador. Oviedo Rotary raised most of the funding and helped supervise purchases, while the Cuenca Club reviewed bids, handled payments, visited IPCA, and monitored the new equipment in use.
For Alex, the project represents Rotary’s mission to “do good in the world.”
“Rotary global grants are a wonderful way of achieving that result,” he says. “They create bridges of peaceful interaction that allow different cultures and people to help each other with dignity and common purpose.”
Diana agrees, adding, “Supporting our local area will always be my top priority, but participating in this international project was truly an amazing experience. I’m so grateful to be part of the Rotary Club of Oviedo, and to live in a Central Florida community that helped make this happen.”