Joe’l Gonzalez was born and raised in Boston. He is of Dominican descent and he is the proud father of two boys. Joe’l finds great joy in volunteering his time and resources toward youth-oriented programs and community advancement. 

In 2017 Joe’l suffered from a paralyzing injury while playing basketball and he currently relies on the use of a wheelchair. Joe’l has dedicated his life to creating awareness towards the SCI community. He founded Walk With Gonzo Inc., which pairs his love in helping children with disabilities and his pride for his native country.

The Walk With Gonzo team is comprised of many volunteers with a goal to make a difference in the world they live in. Our volunteers come from diverse cultural and professional backgrounds that use their unique skills to collectively help others.

Walk With Gonzo started out as a instagram page that followed Joe’l’s road to recovery due to a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the chest down. It derives from Joe’l’s last last name Gonzalez and his journey to walk again.

We value people, life, learning and teamwork.

• Children/Youth in the Dominican Republic constitutes just over 30% (3.4 million) of the total population.

• In the 34 developed countries it is estimated that 1% of the total population require a wheelchair.

• In developed countries more than 95% of people who require a wheelchair have access to one.

• In developing countries less than 10% of people who require a wheelchair have access to one.

• 61,000 children/youth DO NOT have access and require wheelchairs in the Dominican Republic.

  How is the need for wheelchairs changing?

• With the world population increasing by 187,500 each day, there is an additional need for almost 3,500 wheelchairs every day (1.85% of the world population)

• That means that every hour of every day, 24 hours a day, there is the need for 145 more wheelchairs in the world

  Wheelchairs are increasingly valued by both clinicians and parents as something that makes a positive contribution to a child's independence, despite environmental barriers (Berry 1996). Independent mobility, in whatever form, is now often viewed as the foundation for engagement in all daily activities (Hardy 2004).

  According to the World Health Organization the wheelchair is one of the most commonly used assistive devices for enhancing personal mobility, which is a precondition for enjoying human rights and living in dignity. Wheelchairs assist people with disabilities to become productive members of their communities.

  Providing appropriate wheelchairs not only enhances mobility but begins a process of opening up a world of education, work and social life. In addition to providing mobility, an appropriate wheelchair benefits the physical health and quality of life of the users by helping in reducing common problems such as pressure sores, progression of deformities and improve respiration and digestion.

As a nonprofit organization, we provide wheelchairs, medical supplies, and support to children and families in need. We also work to lessen the burden for caretakers as they play an essential role in the wellbeing of the children and families we serve.