Thank God for Wheelchairs!

[Guest guest]

I have been reading some of the posts about how family members are

reacting negatively towards the use of a wheelchair. To those

members who are being subjected to this I apologize for those able

bodied people.

This entire subject is exactly why lin Delano Roosevelt refused to be

photographed in his wheelchair the entire time that he was president. This is

why he always appeared in public with an able bodied man on each side of him

holding him up. The man did not want people to think that he was " giving up " ,

or " too weak to lead. "

For a family member to treat one of their loved ones this way is

completely unreasonable. I would rather my son, and probably my

husband soon in the future, have a better quality of life by using

their wheelchair and enjoying life.

When they enjoy life, they seem to have less pain. They are out of the house,

and their bodies are getting more exercise because they are not just sitting

around at home or lying in bed.

A family member who objects to someone being in a wheelchair is being selfish.

I also would reccommend that family members who are not understanding, find a

caregivers support group so that they can deal with the grief of having a loved

one in disabling pain, and go start learning how to recover from the denial

stage of the grief.

It is heartbreaking to see my loved ones in pain. It would be even more

heartbreaking to see them completely give up, not try and participate in life.

I am proud to see people in wheelchairs, walkers, canes, however they can get

around so that other people can see them out in the world still contributing and

enriching other peoples lives. Those people are rolling through challenges, and

saying " they are somebody and will make a difference " !

Bless all of you.

Daisy