“All” is a big word!

Mar 13 2019

From Mel West:
3-13-19
WHAT IF THEIR ARMS DO NOT ALSO WORK? : # 963
The original Mobility Worldwide (PET) was designed for an adult. We soon realized that many children were victims of polio, birth defects, spinal bifida, etc., so Rodney Miner (son of Earl Miner, the original designer) reduced the adult PET to 3/4 size and built the model with plans.
Then we realized that many leg-handicapped persons had disabilities so severe that their arms could not crank a PET. I challenged one of our volunteers, Charley Christy, to design what we called a PULL-PET. He took the standard adult PET, removed the front crank unit, and replaced it with a pull handle.
Volunteer Raymond McKenzie began to produce them, and did some adjustment to the seat and added arm rests.
The PULL-PET has become popular. We received the story of an elderly woman in Swaziland who was carried in to our PET distribution center on a blanket. Four men carried her, one on each corner. The word for “grandma” there is “Go-Go!”. She was most enthusiastic in her gratitude for her PULL-PET.
We have sent child-car-seats to some, so they could put a disabled small child on the PULL-PET, and the mother no longer had to carry the child everplace she went. The PULL-PET, with its cargo space, could used for hauling items.
A small farmer in Guatemala, confined to his room, had not seen his farm for five years. They put him onto a PULL-PET and his grandchildren took him for a trip around his acres.
When we say the pledge to our flag we say “…with liberty and justice for ALL.”
That means for a “Go-Go” in Africa, a farmer in Guatemala, and a small child in Honduras. “All” is a big word!
Mel West