Young Man Receives Standing Wheelchair Through Carrell Clinic Foundation

From a young age, Jacque G., 30, learned to prevent cerebral palsy from being the thing that held him back from enjoying life to the fullest. Every adventure that came his way, he faced with positivity and joy, ready to overcome any limitation. 

Raised by his mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Jacque used a manual wheelchair for most of his life. This traditional type of wheelchair comes with its own set of constraints that include difficulty with maneuvering and getting to a standing position.  

After his great-grandmother and mother passed away, he moved away from his hometown in Kansas and attended Sunset International Bible Institute in Dallas. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biblical studies while there and enjoyed all that Texas had to offer. 

One of his friends was the first to refer him to the Carrell Clinic Foundation, a public charity dedicated to supporting important needs in the field of orthopaedics and musculoskeletal medicine. She suggested that he apply to it in pursuit of funding for a new wheelchair, the full-power Superstand. 

Upon approving him for financial assistance, the Carrell Clinic Foundation supported and fully funded the purchase of this innovative wheelchair. Custom built to each person, the wheelchair gives people the ability to stand and have more agency in their day-to-day life. 

“I now have capabilities that I wouldn’t normally have. Places like the Carrell Clinic [Foundation] make that possible by being able to do the funding,” Jacque says. “If I didn’t have the funding, I wouldn’t have had a way to get it. It not only makes my life easier, but makes life easier for the caregiver.” 

Using only a joystick and button, Jacque attained life-changing independence. He doesn’t need a caregiver throughout the day to push his wheelchair around. Instead, he is able to stroll down the street to his neighbor’s house and spend time with them at his own will. 

What’s even better is that the chair breaks free from certain constraints that the manual wheelchair or other powered wheelchairs come with.  

“I can stand up and regulate my legs more often, so I can stay healthy and vibrant,” he says, “This is very important when you have cerebral palsy, and it gives me a better quality of life. I can even go outside. Something as simple as checking the mail for you is rather difficult for me and impossible if I don’t have the chair. It’s a major blessing to have the chair to do simple things.”

After living in Dallas for eight years, Jacque moved back to his hometown to take care of his grandmother and serve his church and community in any way he can. For Jacque, life is a beautiful adventure that you can embrace and see what great things come along with it.  

“I’m just thankful for the kindness of the Carrell Clinic Foundation. It makes things go a lot more smoothly when these companies that you work with are kind,” he says. “Every step of the way, they were checking on me and checking in to see how things were going, but also making sure that I was satisfied. I really appreciate that.”

To learn more about the Carrell Clinic Foundation, please call (214) 220-2468.