Wheels of Happiness emerged in 2011 after our founder Vincenzo Piscopo was faced with a life-altering spinal cord injury. While at an in-patient rehabilitation, he crossed paths with Father Thomas, a Ugandan priest facing a similar injury. Thanks to the support and care Vincenzo received, he has been able to live a productive, fulfilling life. Unfortunately, Father Thoma’s post-injury experience and care were lackluster. He suffered a catastrophic motorcycle accident and was left by the roadside for hours, transported to the hospital in the back of a truck, and eventually found himself confined to his bed, unable to step outside and feeling hopeless.
Luckily and thanks to the kindness of Samaritans, Father Thomas was sent to Atlanta’s Shepherd Center for transformative therapy. Enzo’s path crossed with Father Thomas’s at Shepherd, where after a few months, Enzo got to witness Father Thomas return to Uganda, with renewed strength, resuming his role of serving both God and his community. Father Thomas’s story raised Vincenzo’s awareness of the unmet needs of people with disabilities in underprivileged pockets of the world. To pay it forward, Vincenzo and his wife Gabriela founded “The Wheels of Happiness Foundation” and sent out their first donations to Uganda in honor of Father Thomas.
From our first efforts in Uganda, we expanded our help to people with motor disabilities in Peru, Nigeria, Colombia, Mexico, and Venezuela – the home country of our founders, Vincenzo & Gabriela. Over the first four years of operations, Vincenzo and Gabriela directed aid from their own resources, rallying friends and family to contribute to the cause. Sometimes it entailed sending a box of supplies, others it involved purchasing a wheelchair or funding a required surgery.
What began as an informal outreach later evolved into a more robust and sustained effort. In a pivotal turn in 2015, the Wheels of Happiness registered as a 501(c)(3) organization. This allowed us to raise more funds, helping us reach more people worldwide. As we grew, we also extended our support to individuals in the United States.
Our journey began with small steps but has grown into something impactful. Over the years, countless similar stories have fueled our commitment to changing 1000+ lives all over the world. We continue fully committed to our mission of helping people with motor disabilities live with dignity and be productive members of society.