Bringing Mobility to Kids in Need

A new partnership between CURE Children’s Hospital of Uganda and Joni and Friends, the international disability ministry founded by Joni Eareckson Tada, is bringing the gift of mobility to children in Uganda who suffer from neurological conditions. Even after life-saving surgery at CURE, some children still require mobility support. Together, the two ministries are custom-fitting and distributing more than 200 specially designed wheelchairs—answering prayers for families who otherwise could never afford them on their own.

The donation of specialized Cub wheelchairs is transforming the lives of families like Brenda and her daughter Rachel, who was born with hydrocephalus. Surgery saved her life, but Rachel still couldn’t sit upright or move on her own, forcing Brenda to carry her everywhere. With her new Cub wheelchair, Rachel can now look forward to attending school, playing with friends, and sitting through church on her own.

Brenda shares, “Now Rachel can go to school, write, and even eat by herself because the wheelchair has a table. I thank God for this gift.”

The Hidden Need After Surgery

Every year, CURE Uganda performs more than 2,000 neurosurgeries, offering children a second chance at life. Yet for many families, the journey doesn’t end in the operating room. After surgery, children may still struggle to sit upright, attend school, or move on their own. Without a wheelchair, they are often excluded from community life altogether.

“Sadly, the majority of our patients’ families could never afford a wheelchair,” says Tim Erickson, Executive Director of CURE Uganda. “In the local market, a chair like this would cost the equivalent of $1,000—far beyond what most parents here could ever pay. These donations are lifting an enormous burden from families and opening doors for children to participate in school, church, and daily life.”

Globally, the need is staggering. According to the World Health Organization, of the estimated 80 million people who need a wheelchair, as few as 3 percent in low-income countries actually have one. That means millions of children spend their lives without the most basic form of mobility.

Joni and Friends has distributed hundreds of thousands of wheelchairs to high-need countries through its Wheels for the World™ program, and the ministry’s experts spoke into the design of the Cub wheelchair.

Built for Uganda’s Roads and Homes

The Cub wheelchairs are no ordinary chairs. They are designed to be narrow enough to fit through small village doorways, sturdy enough for unpaved paths, and adjustable so they can grow with the child.

With training from the team at Joni’s House Uganda, CURE Uganda’s technicians are now equipped to custom-fit the wheelchairs—a process that can take up to five hours. A wheelchair that properly supports a child makes all the difference and can help prevent pain, sores, or posture problems.

Joni Eareckson Tada, who has lived in a wheelchair for more than 58 years, understands this difference firsthand. “Disability can feel like a wilderness—a wasteland of one hardship after another,” she says. “But together, we are making a way through those hardships and blazing fresh, hope-filled paths into the wilderness of suffering.”

Families Already Feeling the Impact

The inaugural distribution event at CURE in Mbale, Uganda, was filled with laughter, tears, and songs of praise as the first children were fitted for their chairs.

For Issa, a father from Budaka District, the gift was deeply personal. His young son Shakur was born with hydrocephalus. After surgery at CURE, Shakur was doing better, but mobility was still a challenge.

“I once tried to get a wheelchair, but it wasn’t the right design,” Issa recalls. “Every time I put Shakur in it, he cried because it didn’t fit him. This new chair is perfect. It supports his head and keeps him steady. Now he can sit up and watch his friends play. I believe this will even inspire him to start walking.”

Nearby, Irene couldn’t stop smiling over her son Goodwin’s new chair. “This wheelchair will change his life,” she said. “It will help him go to school and sit in church like other children.”

And then there was little Gibson, whose mother, Misanya, was overcome with gratitude. “We could never afford a wheelchair,” she said. “Now Gibson can go to church because the wheelchair supports him as he sits. God has answered my prayers.”

Two Ministries, One Mission

CURE and Joni and Friends are united in a lasting commitment to serve even more children with disabilities in the name of Jesus—continuing to meet both physical and spiritual needs for years to come.

“Together with Joni and Friends, we are serving children living with significant disabilities who still need mobility support when they leave our hospital,” says Justin Narducci, President/CEO of CURE International. “This tangible expression of God’s love will restore dignity and opportunity to these children.”

For Brenda, Issa, Irene, and hundreds of families like them, this partnership means no longer being left behind. Children once confined to mats or carried on their mother’s back can now move forward—joining their peers in the classroom, at church, and on the playground. 

“Joni and Friends is dedicated to transforming lives through Christ-centered care, and partnering with CURE in Uganda strategically furthers our reach to help children with disabilities,” said Steve Bundy, Senior Vice President of International Ministries at Joni and Friends. “Together with CURE, we can ensure children receive not only life-changing medical treatment but also the gifts of mobility, independence, and the saving love of Jesus.”