"For many people, an appropriate, well-designed and well-fitted wheelchair can be the first step towards dignity, inclusion and participation in society. Charity donated wheelchairs, dropped into a community are often inappropriate and of poor quality, therefore giving further problems (often times very serious) for the user and for the country in the long run. For Hope Haven's efforts, I can attest to the high quality individual assessment, prescription, fitting and follow-up for the user."

Lana R. Svien P.T., Ph.D., M.A.
University of South Dakota

“HHIM is unique…I have served overseas with other global not-for-profits and I have never encountered an agency that has the number and quality of highly-trained health care providers who return on a regular, sometimes biannual basis…HHIM delivers first-class equipment with professional expertise. The children come in with almost nothing but leave with hope, mobility and the promise of brighter days ahead.” 

Mel Elliot, ATS
Carolina Mobility and Seating, Inc.
Apex, NC (pictured in photo above, left)

"Partnership between Hope Haven and clubs from Rotary District 5220 have resulted in thousands of wheelchairs being distributed to the disabled poor in the developing world. Hope Haven staff are professional, easy to work with, and really understand the Rotary International "matching grant" process."

Lonny Davis
Ceres Rotary Club (CA)

“…there was no need to ask for a translator when you got to see the smiles and tears on people’s faces the first time they are able to move on their own…. Wheelchairs are luxuries that most people in Vietnam cannot afford. One wheelchair alone could cost a family an entire years salary! By the end of the distribution, my knees were screaming and my back ached but as I wrote in my correspondences back home—‘I have never felt so alive.’  As I recount my tale, I feel nothing but pride in choosing to come to Vietnam with Hope Haven International.   I hope that our actions in some small ways have helped to bring more hope, dignity and joy to their life.” 

Natalie Chan, Occupational Therapist
Vancouver, BC

"The image is forever in my mind of that moment when my wife, Sheila, tenderly placed Ploiesti  in her new wheelchair(in Romania). After carrying her 8-year-old since birth because she couldn't afford a wheelchair, this young mother was overcome with joy. She hugged my wife with simultaneous laughter and tears."

Loren Boyens
Sioux Falls Rotary West (SD)

"Almost every component of the Hope Haven KidChair is adjustable, allowing the child to receive a chair that gives them optimal positioning and posture...the chairs have room for growth, so that the child can use the chair for many years."

Whitney Davis, PT, DPT
University of the Pacific

“I’ve made 15 trips [to Guatemala], returning again and again because I see lives changed! My favorite friend here…Gerardo, nearly died as an infant because paralysis made swallowing difficult and he got pneumonia. We created an infant seat for safe feeding and a year later we gave him orthotics and a c.p. walker. By age two it was hard for mom to carry him, so we found a tiny wheelchair. Every year for eight years, we adapted his wheelchair, adjusted his mobility aids, and trained his mother to provide year-round therapy. Gerardo, now 10, walks with an ankle orthotic and attends school. He is a bright, happy student. This is HHIM…long-term commitment to people that transforms their daily lives!”

Cathy A. Mulholland, OTR/L
Pacific Rehab, Inc.
Cave Creek, AZ