Donating late son's medical equipment brings mother solace
After Itza Pantoja’s severely disabled son died at the age of 16, she made it her mission to make sure that the wheelchairs, beds and other equipment and supplies that had helped him got to other people who needed them
DALLAS (AP) — After Itza Pantoja's severely disabled son died at age 16, she made it her mission to ensure that the wheelchairs, beds and other equipment and supplies that had helped him would get to others in need.
Pantoja's lengthy struggle to find an organization that would take the large donation ended when she got word that a group in Chicago was interested. So she and her family packed up a U-Haul and drove the 1,240 miles (1,995 kilometers) from San Antonio to drop it off.
“It kind of soothes us because other families that are going through what we went through kind of have a helping hand,” Pantoja said.
The mother's effort highlighted not only how hard it can be to get such equipment — even with insurance — but also the difficulty that can be encountered when trying to donate it. The journey also shows the community built around not only need, but a desire to help.
