The Rotary Club of Boise Sunrise generates a monthly donation to non-profits in what we call the Center of the Table (CoT). Usually, this is a general donation to the chosen organization, but recently, we made a slight change when we decided to support Courageous Kids Climbing (CKC). In this case, we sought to purchase “Rescue Chairs.” These are low-cost and compact items that look like small tarps with handles. The Rescue Chair facilitates the movement of mobility-challenged individuals in any environment, like on and off school buses or going up or down a flight of stairs.
This recent CoT donation enabled the purchase of 50 Rescue Chairs to be distributed to whomever CKC felt could put it to good use. The funds also purchased a 200-foot rescue rope, and the balance remains available for more rescue chairs and mobility assistance devices. As a means of sharing the impact of these mobility devices, here is a story and photos to share with all of you.
JoJo is a young man with spastic cerebral palsy who uses a motorized wheelchair. Although JoJo faces some severe physical challenges, many might consider him a bit of a genius! One of his skills is that he can hear a song and then go over and play it on the piano.
In December 2022, JoJo was invited to give a piano recital. The facility hosting the event has a wheelchair lift, and JoJo was able to get inside without any problem. However, as JoJo exited the building after his performance, the wheelchair lift had become inoperable! There was no way to get JoJo out of the building and to his ride home. After several minutes of discussion, the decision was made to call the local fire department.
The firefighters were able to carry JoJo out of the building by hand and then return to carry his wheelchair outside, which was not easy because of the wheelchair’s weight! After the event, JoJo’s mother reached out to Courageous Kids Climbing (CKC) for help. She knew that there had to be a better way of moving JoJo when his wheelchair could not be used. She searched online, but everything she found was cost-prohibitive. CKC reached out to their supporters at MedSource and explained the problem. MedSource answered the call by sending CKC ten Patient Mover Rescue Chairs. The first one was given to JoJo. It was exactly what JoJo’s mom was looking for!
Since then, the Boise Sunrise Rotary has been able to provide funding for the purchase of fifty Patient Mover Rescue Chairs, affectionately called The Rescue Chair!
CKC’s original goal was to provide The Rescue Chair to kids with mobility issues who attended their free rock wall climbing events throughout the western US. CKC even had a few opportunities to train first responders on how to utilize The Rescue Chair best.
Many times, when CKC gave a family the lifting device, the family would respond that they needed it a couple of weeks ago! What makes The Rescue Chair so popular is that it fits nicely in a backpack or bag that travels with the child. It’s always there when it’s needed!
Because CKC had so many lifting devices on hand, they decided to take them on the road and share them with the kids with mobility issues at the area schools. The schools loved them!
While visiting one school, CKC talked with the school nurse. The nurse shared the story of a recent incident in which a teacher had fallen and broken their leg. School staff elected to remove the teacher from the room, away from the kids’ prying eyes, but they basically had to drag the teacher to the nurse’s office! The school nurse asked, “Could we have one of these for our disaster kit?”
Now, there is a lifting device in their disaster kit!
While visiting another school, a teacher told me that there was no way to get a child with mobility issues from the second floor to the ground floor in an emergency. In an emergency, children with mobility issues would be sheltered in a classroom! That school now has a couple of lifting devices in its disaster kit on the second floor. When visiting another school, CKC learned of an incident in which the special education school bus broke down. There was no efficient way to get the child in a wheelchair off the bus. The Rescue Chair can now be found on special education buses.
When giving The Rescue Chairs out at CKC climbing events, first responders supporting the event are encouraged to give the lifting device to the family on behalf of CKC. This has led to families discussing their home emergency plans with the first responders. It has also led to huge smiles on the kids as they receive their lifting device from the first responders, their new best friends!
But it’s not just first responders who have been passing out The Rescue Chair on behalf of CKC. During last summer’s Gowen Thunder Airshow in Boise, members of the US Air Force Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team gave out The Rescue Chair to a couple of kids!
The feedback CKC has received has been overwhelming! One family is working with MedSource to develop an improved Patient Mover Rescue Chair, especially for families of kids with mobility issues. Executive Director Jeff Riechmann of Courageous Kids Climbing said, “It is not uncommon to hear that families that have a child with mobility issues having issues with finding the funds to purchase equipment like the Patient Mover Rescue Chair. Any extra money that these families may have goes to purchasing items that the child needs. In many cases, these items can be costly. Providing these families with a free Rescue Chair has been appreciated greatly by every family that has received one. And the schools do love them! None of this would be possible without the support from the Boise Sunrise Rotary.”
At Boise Sunrise, our motto is that we seek to leave it better than we found it. We are proud supporters of CKC and are confident that Jeff and his team regularly meet that motto’s high standard. Bravo! To Courageous Kids Climbing, we are happy to be part of this impressive story.
