Care Chest, a non-profit based in Reno and Las Vegas, Nevada, provides medical equipment, supplies, and prescription assistance to Nevadans free of charge. They collect, recycle, refurbish, and then loan gently used equipment to people in need.
In this story from KVUU in Las Vegas, learn about their efforts to help a disabled girl have a wheelchair.
Transcript
After seeing our story, a second nonprofit is stepping in to help a five year old girl with special needs in need of a standing wheelchair. FOX Five’s Alexis Fernandez has the update on Elena Carranco.
Well, John, we first told you about Elena Carranco back in early April. Her family has been trying to get her a standing wheelchair from Medicaid, but has been unsuccessful so far. However, our FOX Five viewers have been helping out in a big way.
Care Chest, which provides free medical equipment and supplies to anyone in need, donated this pediatric mobility chair to Elena. She was born with a rare condition known as chromosome deletion, which affects her speech and physical development. Elena has been waiting to see if Medicaid will cover the $5,000 cost of a new standing wheelchair. In the meantime, this wheelchair will allow Elena to have a little bit more freedom.
This wheelchair is going to give the family the ability to be able to take her out in the community safely, have her be more comfortable when she’s out and about going to medical appointments, going to the grocery store. It’s just going to make it easier for the family to safely transport her.
Care Chest will also be giving Elena free nutritional shakes every month. Another organization donated a medical bed to Elena after also seeing her story. Our FOX Five viewers helped donate more than $4,000 to her GoFundMe page. Her mom says if Medicaid doesn’t cover the cost of the standing wheelchair, she plans to use the donations to purchase it.