Trip to Grenada to deliver wheelchairs

So here's a really touching story about Mom and Dad's latest trip to Grenada to deliver wheelchairs.

Here's what they wrote...
Grenada was wonderful..the senior couple there has it made!! Theywalk on the beach every morning so we walked with them the twomornings we were there. The water is really torquoise blue. I havenever seen water so beautiful and the beaches are unbelievable!! Ican definitely see why people go there for vacations!!! Thewheelchair ceremony was very touching for us.

When we went to Grenada and met many people who received wheelchairs,
we wanted to share one of the stories with all of you and this is the
one we chose. He was such a pleasant man and so grateful for all he
had!! Atttached with the story is a couple of pictures we took of
him. And we are sending a picture of him with two of his police
friends that was sent to us after we left Grenada.

Mark James comes from a family of eleven children. He is the eighth child. Unfortunately, for Mark he is the victim of thalidomide and was born handicapped with no legs or feet except a flipper at the end of his right leg which goes not quite to the knee. The right hand is missing and the left hand has only three badly deformed fingers. When he was 8, he was put in an institution in Trinidad where he was taught to cope with life in a very positive manner. He was trained in ordinary living skills and adapted well to his circumstances. As he grew older, he was trained in arts and crafts…such as cleaning shells, weaving mats and other such things. With these skills he has been able to maintain his own way of living and taking care of his needs and wants. Now he makes a living selling CD’s, post cards, spices and baskets that have been woven by others, to tourists from the cruise lines and anyone else who will buy from him.
The gift of the wheelchair was very heart touching to us! Mark was suppose to be brought to the wheelchair ceremony by a policeman who was his friend but because of work Mark was not able to come so we took the chair to him! There sat Mark James in the street of the Mall with two of his friends.. a taxi driver who was going to take Mark’s old chair for his crippled wife (we want to see is she can get one of those new chairs also) and a woman who also has a booth outside the Mall. They tried to help him transfer from his old chair into the new one but he did not need any help…he hopped out and struggled by himself to get into his new chair!! The whole time…his friends kept telling him how blessed he was with ‘Praise The Lord” in every other breath as the wheelchair was unfolded. These friends showed him the pocket in the back with the church’s logo on it.
Mark moved into the new chair and just beamed and beamed. When he could speak, all he could say was “thank you, thank you” I am so blessed” over and over again. Tears fell from his eyes and all our eyes and before anyone knew it, Mark was off in his new wheelchair as fast as he could move it to the front of the mall. Propelling it with his right arm and his deformed hand. He wanted to show all the other venders his new chair and just smiling and so happy….they were all so happy for him!!
If ever there should be a man who was on liquor or drugs to drown his deformity or have depression from living with what he has lived with his whole life, it should be Mark, yet he assures us that these habit forming aids have never been considered by him to cope with life in a wheelchair. He has a wonderful independent nature that keeps him upbeat and happy. We are so fortunate that we have had the opportunity to get to know such a man!