It is over 15 years that Kim Gabrielle has been suffering from cerebral palsy.

The condition has affected her mobility and her faculty for speech.

Her mother goes to work almost everyday, so it is her grandfather who takes care of her.

The family resides in Barangay Mansilingan, Bacolod City. It is an aspiration of Kim’s family to buy a wheelchair for her, so to be a recipient of the assistive device from a non-government organization is already a big thing to them.

“Mahal talaga. So malaking bagay. First apo [grandchild] ko siya. Umaasa pa nga ako na makakatakbo pa siya sa bahay,” Noel Arsaga, Kim’s grandfather, said.

While Arsaga hopes that senior citizens may be given a wheelchair as well, the project organizer said that the assistive device is designed only for persons with cerebral palsy, a neurological disorder caused by non-progressive brain malformation or injury that occurs  during a child's brain development period," according to the Department of Health.

“Tthe wheelchairs are different, whenever the SPED teachers will ride, the wheelchair has pugong (brake)…it's not for seniors but for those with cerebral palsy,” Anne Marie Makilan, organizer, pointed out.

The funds used to purchase the wheelchairs come from benefactors in different locations in the United States, Makilan said.

A few polio patients and amputees in the Province of Negros Occidental have also received medical support.

“Mahirap, hindi ako makalakad, hindi ako makapaghanap ng aming pagkain. Pero salamat [sa tulong], masaya ako,” Mary Anne, another beneficiary, said.