Local man gets new set of wheels Local man gets new set of wheels (April 08, 2005)

Relief group helps paralyzed man get around better

By Allison Gerard

Rodolfo Jauregui woke up on Nov. 20 and realized he could not walk. In fact he could not speak or move. No accident and no real cause. The doctors said he may have slept wrong and caused some of his nerves to become twisted.

"The doctors said it's pretty rare and they have never seen anything like this before," the 22-year-old Mountain View resident said.

In the last few months he has made a remarkable recovery. He is still paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair. But thanks to a partnership between the local fire department and a large relief organization, at least his ride will be a little more comfortable.

A few weeks ago, while trying to make the best of his situation, he was attempting to pop a wheelie. He ended up falling over backwards and hitting his head, something that would have been prevented if his chair were equipped with a safety device.

After falling out of his chair, Jauregui was worried he may be injured, so he called the fire department.

Luckily for him, the fire department had recently paired up with the Wheelchair Foundation in an effort to identify community members who need wheelchairs.

"The firefighters are a perfect match because they serve as our eyes and ears on ground to help us find people in local communities who are in need of wheelchairs," said Christopher Lewis, director of public education for the Wheelchair Foundation, which has donated more than 350,000 wheelchairs around the world.

John Miguel, president of the firefighters union, concurred.

"The wonderful thing about this partnership is we are in the community daily, we can see people who need this service, and we can contact the Wheelchair Foundation," said Miguel. On April 1 at Noah's Bagels, a representative of the Wheelchair Foundation presented Jauregui with a new wheelchair fully equipped with the needed safety devices. A handful of firefighters were also on hand for the ceremony.

"I was happy when I found out I was getting it," Jauregui said. "I have never been given something this expensive before."

Noah's is a major donor to the Wheelchair Foundation, raising $50,000 last year alone, enough to provide more than 600 wheelchairs to physically disabled individuals throughout California, Oregon and Washington.

In addition to contacting the fire department about possible recipients, residents can also make monetary donations to the Wheelchair Foundation. For $75, a chair can be delivered to a developing country, or $150 for a developed country.

"Our main goal is to let the public know these chairs are available," Miguel said.
E-mail Allison Gerard at agerard@mv-voice.com

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