Three days after her birth in 2004, Mishal Bhatti contracted meningitis. That disease led to cerebral palsy. Drawing upon their faith, as well as their love and one another's strength, Mishal's mother, father, and siblings have found joy in serving her, even with struggles and discouragements which would stifle the determination of most people. Recently one of their struggles was reduced as Mishal was presented with an LDS Charities wheelchair.
- Mishal and Qandeel
- Placing the seat cushion
- Mishal and mother Sameena
- Sisters share the care giving tasks
- Raja makes adjustments
- Family Aqil
- Three big sisters
- Mishal and Raja
- Sameena and Senior Missionary
- Humanitarian Missionaries deliver wheelchair
- Brother and Sister
- Family at Church
- Aqil and family
- Headed to class
- Family time
- Wheelchairs
- Raja receives certificate
- Penang wheelchair recipients
- Trained Assessors
- Mishal's wheelchair
- Bright eyes
- Hibiscus
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In July 2014 Raja Renno, President of Rotary Club Melawati began working with Humanitarian Specialists, Sid and Linda Thatcher from LDS Charities. He had identified several disabled people in need of assistance, yet they had no financial ability to obtain a wheelchair. In the past year Raja has overseen the delivery of 360 wheelchairs donated by LDS Charities into West Malaysia, has organized 25 Rotary Clubs to provide wheelchair assessment and participated in the training of some 60 wheelchair assessors. Those trained Rotary Club assessors have provided wheelchairs to some 300 individuals throughout West Malaysia since January 30, 2015.
LDS Charities, the humanitarian arm of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints provides the wheelchairs free of charge and the Rotary Club network identifies those in need, assesses and fits the chair to the individual and has the blessing of rejoicing in the personal story which follows each wheelchair. On June 25, 2015, Raja Renno was able to enjoy one more beautiful wheelchair story.
The previous Sunday, Todd Woodford, local leader of the Kuala Lumpur Branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints found that a family in his congregation was in need of a wheelchair which would fit their 12 year old daughter. The borrowed chair the family used to transport Mishal was a large adult chair. It was so large that she was simply "swimming" in it. President Woodford recognized the need and communicated that need to the Rotary Club. On Tuesday, Raja Renno met Mishal and her mother, Sameena for an assessment. Thursday afternoon Raja and representatives from LDS Charities were able to deliver a new wheel chair to the family home.
Daily care for this child has become a family affair. Older sister Qandeel said "Mishal is a very happy child, she does not cry often. If she does get upset and none of us can help her, we just phone our father at work and his voice will calm her down."
The family began studying the gospel in 2007 and joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2013. Due to persecution, Aqil and Sameena came to Malaysia with their family in 2014. Together they have found work, acceptable living quarters and enjoy a new found peace in their lives. Each day the children attend school and help in providing daily care for their sister Mishal. The father was grateful for the new wheelchair for his daughter. Aqil said "We may have been driven from our homeland, but we still have our faith in Jesus Christ and we have each other. What more could a father want than to have his family cared for by a tender mother in a home filled with love and with faith. My life is filled with blessings to overflowing."
This wheelchair will enjoy a pleasant and long life in the Sherez home...wherever that home is located in the future.