Susan Shaw

Susan Shaw received divine inspiration in a likely place. Well,

outside of a likely place.

Two years ago, after attending church, the Newport Coast resident

walked outside and realized her life mission as a volunteer.

What she saw was a simple wheelchair that was designed for the

100-million disabled poor around the world.

“It was one of those experiences [that] people always talk about,

where I found out what I’m supposed to do to give back for being

blessed,” Shaw said.

Shaw, who founded Divegear, a clothing company for the scuba

diving industry, was transformed. She decided she wanted to help Don

Schoendorfer, founder and president of the Free Wheelchair Mission,

in his efforts. But she wanted to start helping the disabled poor in

an area of the world popular with divers -- Fiji.

“I chose Fiji first primarily because the people I experienced

were some of the most wonderful people I ever met,” Shaw said.

“They’re the most giving and gracious.”

Schoendorfer designed the wheelchairs with the attitude that what

was really needed was a simple chair on wheels that could be made for

$40 or less. All it took was a patio chair with mountain bike tires.

He ships containers of 550 wheelchairs to countries such as India,

Mexico and China.

Shaw decided to initially raise funds for one container to send to

Fiji. She solicited family and friends and talked to people at trade

shows, dive shops, resorts and through her business travels. She said

the fund-raising was easier because she loved the idea that a $40

donation would go directly to the chair and not be spent on anything

else.

“I wanted a pure charity,” Shaw said. “The $40 will pay for the

chair and pay for it to be shipped anywhere in the world.”

It took her about a year to raise the funds. But she couldn’t sit

by idly while the chairs were being delivered to those in need in

Fiji. So, as soon as the chairs arrived there, she hopped on a plane.

She also convinced Schoendorfer to accompany her.

Shaw’s photo albums are full of people who received the chairs --

victims of diabetes and stroke, some with blackened knees from

crawling for years just to get around.

“It was incredible,” Shaw said. “I really had thought I would fall

apart at every home I visited, but I didn’t. You couldn’t show your

sorrow while you were there.”

In some of the more remote areas of Fiji, men carried the

wheelchairs through tall brush to their destinations.

Her favorite memory is delivering a chair to a man who had a

condition similar to cerebral palsy. He had been paralyzed for a long

time, and his father would carry him to school and to work. Then his

father took the man’s brother out of school to care for him.

“Until this night, this boy carried him to work every day,” Shaw

said, referring to the night the family received a wheelchair. “Now

his life has changed. He has dignity. He doesn’t have to be carried

like a baby.”

Shaw’s ultimate goal in Fiji is to distribute the wheelchairs to

the outer islands. Then it’s on to the rest of the South Pacific, she

declared.

“I’m just going to make it happen because I’ve never found a

charity that can change [people’s] lives so quickly,” Shaw said.

Shaw is raising funds for her next shipment of wheelchairs to

Fiji. Anyone who would like to donate can call (949) 644-4930 or

e-mail her at [email protected] for more information.

-- Story by Deirdre Newman,

Photo by Steve McCrank