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A lack of mobility assistance could leave local seniors and people with disabilities unable to navigate their lives.
Eleven-year-old twin siblings from San Antonio have launched a collection drive for durable medical equipment like wheelchairs and walkers. Items will be donated to a nonprofit that assists individuals with disabilities.
The drive for Project Mend is part of David and Eliana Janes’ bar and bat mitzvah community service projects. Their mother, Jennifer Janes, a former hospice worker now on disability, pitched the idea to them.
“I know that an incredibly large percentage of elderly adults over the age of 70 die within a year of a hip fracture due to falls," said Janes. “And I also know that the rate of poverty in San Antonio is very high.”
The National Institutes of Health report that for people over the age of 70, the one-year mortality rate after a hip fracture is approximately 20% to 30%.
Sixth grader David Janes said one piece of medical equipment can change a person’s life.
“It could give them an extra 10 years, maybe. If they have ever had kids, let them see what their kids may do when they're older. It can prevent breaking a hip from falling and suffering (in) a hospital bed,” said Janes.
Though Project Mend has been around for nearly 30 years, very few people are aware of its existence. David said he and his sister, Eliana, started spreading awareness of the organization through email and designing posters.
“We decided Ellie would do the poster … because she's a good artist and she's creative, and I did most of the email writing, because I'm a good writer and I type pretty fast,” said David.
Eliana said she’s reminded of how good it feels to help other people. She wants to increase awareness of Project Mend as the donation drive continues.
“I would mostly want people to know of its importance to donate and like where to go, and also for just people to know more about Project Mend ... what Project Mend does,” said Eliana.
Kristy Walston, chief development officer of Project Mend, said there will be a city-wide equipment drive this Saturday at San Antonio’s Wonderland of the Americas Mall.
“We take equipment that primarily has to do with mobility,” said Walston. “So wheelchairs, walkers, rollators, scooters, tub transfer benches, shower chairs, bedside commode. Our number one need is always wheelchairs.”
Project Mend will not accept oxygen tanks. The organization will accept gently used equipment.
Walston said Project Mend can refurbish, sanitize, and repair gently used equipment and get it to individuals in need.
“Sometimes, if we're unable to use it, if it's so far gone, sometimes we can Frankenstein it and get parts off of it and put them on a wheelchair, for example... that makes another wheelchair whole,” said Walston.
Walston adds that no donation goes to waste even if an equipment is not usable.
“We are able to give it to two other organizations that we partner with that don't have the restrictions that we have by the state,” said Walston. “They are able to take them into Mexico or into Africa, where they don't have to follow the same guidelines that we do. Or we're able to scrap the material and get pennies on the pound for that, so the funding comes back to the organization.”
Anyone is eligible to receive equipment from Project Mend.
“As long as they have a prescription indicating what equipment they need,” said Walston. “So we serve all ages, all different individuals. We serve a lot of veterans. Sixty percent of the individuals that we serve are 60 and older, but we also serve children. Especially with the children's need — (they) are very specific, because kids grow and they grow out of their equipment, and so we get real specialized equipment sometimes donated, and we're able to get that out to families and kids that need it.”
The Janes family will continue collecting wheelchairs, crutches, and walking boots well after the Project Mend drive, until August or September of next year. The Janes have collected about 50 items so far.
More details can be found on the Project Mend Facebook page.
