Homemade Wheelchairs for Animals Give Strays a Second Chance

By:  Great Big Story

Eight years ago in Tainan, Taiwan, Pan Chieh’s coworker saved a disabled dog that had been injured in a car accident. The city’s stray dogs and cats are frequently involved in car collisions, and at the time, wheelchairs for animals were very expensive. So Chieh—an engineer—decided to construct one himself. But he didn’t stop there. To date, Chieh has constructed around 400 wheelchairs to help Taiwan’s disabled animals get around easier. In his words, Chieh’s ultimate goal is to inspire others to help these animals get a second chance at seeing the world.

When the Roseville, CA, police department called for help to find a 97-year-old woman with dementia, a squad of four embarked on a mission to find her.  Logan Hultman, Makenna Rogers, and Kashton Claiborne, all 10, and Hope Claiborne, 11, took to the streets on their bikes, riding across town, over hills, and through parks.  Logan fell off his bike and hurt himself, but they regrouped after patching up his wound and eating dinner.  They finally spotted the missing woman near the senior center and alerted the police who took over and, as Logan said modestly, “took care of everything else.”  The kids celebrated with a party in Makenna’s treehouse.

Jonathan Pinkard has a new heart and a new family, all thanks to nurse Lori Wood.  This autistic 27-year-old was living in a men’s shelter and in need of a heart transplant when he arrived at Georgia’s Piedmont Newnan Hospital late last year.  Because Pinkard had no one to care for him post-surgery, he couldn’t join the transplant waiting list.  After caring for Pinkard for two days, Wood made her patient a life-changing offer:  If he wanted, she would become his legal guardian.  Pinkard moved in with Wood in January and underwent heart surgery in August; he hopes to be well enough to resume his job as an office clerk soon.  “All I can say is, ‘Thank you, Mama Lori,'” said Pinkard.

Searching desperately for a kidney that would let him survive a rare disease, Ricky King posted a last-ditch plea on the back of his car.  The sign caught the eye of a neighbor, Armando Llanes, who introduced himself – and found that, like him, King was an Army veteran. Llanes had served for eight years; King retired after 24.  Llanes was brought to tears by King’s story, and believing he should “never leave a fallen soldier,” offered to donate his own kidney to save King’s life.  While Llanes ‘ organ won’t go directly to King, he’ll get another kidney in a four-way swap.  “It’s that brotherhood,” Llanes said.