Mobility brings Angel happiness
Angel was born in July 2015 in Zingalume, Zambia. He has a severe form of Osteogenesis Imperfecta or brittle bone disease which causes bones to break easily and often, even from minor injuries.
For most of his young life, stepping outside meant risking painful fractures and bruising. Angel was kept indoors. He missed school, couldn’t join his family at church and longed to play with the other children he could see outside his window. Five years ago, leaving the house simply wasn’t an option.
On 25 February 2020, everything changed. Not long before his fifth birthday, Angel arrived at our partner organisation Blu Spring who were able to custom-fit Angel to a Wheelchairs For Kids adjustable wheelchair. From the moment he was fitted, Angel’s world changed.
Before receiving his wheelchair, Angel’s mother spent hours each day home-schooling him. The family rarely left the house and the isolation weighed heavily on everyone. With Angel unable to attend school or church, their world felt very small. The wheelchair brought more than mobility—it brought independence, connection and relief.
Today, Angel is thriving. Now ten years old, he goes to school every day and has made many new friends. He is eager to learn and is very clever. Angel loves English, maths and science and he dreams of a future where he can make a difference for others living with disability. Most of all, he loves going to church with his family and being able to go outside without fear. His parents often speak about the joy and confidence they’ve seen in him—the lightness in his mood, his growing independence a happiness that has lifted the whole family.
Angel’s younger brother David, born in 2018, also lives with brittle bone disease. His condition is more severe, which meant he needed to stay in alternative supportive seating for many years. On 6 August 2025 David was finally big enough to be fitted safely with his first Wheelchairs For Kids wheelchair. His parents had been fearful of having more children due to the risk of osteogenesis imperfecta recurring, and the arrival of their now-very-young third child reflects both caution and hope as the family grows.
For David, the wheelchair marks the beginning of opportunities his big brother already enjoys: school, friends, faith and the freedom to be part of his community. For his parents, it provides reassurance, relief and the ability to focus on their small personal businesses while their boys are safely included in everyday life.