One Story

A perfect fit

The wheelchair is really little, too small for most 6-year-olds. But for Tristan Butler, it's just perfect.

Last month, Tristan twisted his knee in a fall on the playground. Soon he couldn't walk, and was in so much pain his parents, Delmarie and William, had to carry him everywhere. Tristan isn't the biggest 6-year-old in the world, but he felt plenty heavy to his mom.

My arms were so tired. I knew I couldn't keep carrying him around, Delmarie says. That's when she called Alicia Szuka, coordinator of Christ Fellowship's Special Needs Ministry, and found out about the little yellow wheelchair.

One extra-special donation

It's a brand-new pediatric chair, one of hundreds of pieces donated to the ministry's equipment drive. When she saw it, Alicia felt moved to have it assembled and kept nearby, just in case.

Delmarie Butler's call came only a day or two later. "Tristan saw the wheelchair and his little face just lit up," Delmarie remembers. "He fit in it perfectly. It was such a blessing from heaven."

A little help from their friends

The Butlers, who worship and sing in the choir at the Gardens Campus, thought the chair would be needed only temporarily. But it turns out Tristan's injury is worse than they thought and an MRI has shown he has a torn anterior cruciate ligament, very rare in children. He'll need to wear a brace until he's 12. That, combined with his asthma and juvenile diabetes, means he'll need a little extra help over the next few years.

And so the wheelchair is his, as long he needs it. It went to Disney World with the family, which allowed Tristan to enjoy a day at the park without exhaustion or pain.

It's a gift from God, Alicia says. "God might choose to work in a certain way, to choose a certain family," she says. "People know they are loved."

The Special Needs Ministry serves about 80 children through a variety of programs. There is always room to help, whether it's to provide a horse at the weekly therapeutic riding program, to serve as a Shadow to assist a disabled child during services and special events, or to donate equipment to the wheelchair drive, which runs through October.

You never know who needs you, but God does just as He knew about a very little boy who needed a very little wheelchair.

To learn more about the Special Needs Ministry or to volunteer to help click here or call 561-799-7603 ext.. 1168. There is a particular need for more horses at the Saturday therapeutic riding events.