Barry Talbot isn’t a man who likes to sit still.
So far, that trait has served him well, and the people around him too.
In 2009, Talbot was delivering wheelchairs to those in need in Mazatlan, Mexico.
“I gave this wheelchair to this little girl,” he said. “I asked her mother if there was a chance if she could learn to walk.”
That little girl was Ariam Guadalupe. A local newspaper clipping Talbot pulled out detailed his first interaction with her, explaining that she was born with cerebral palsy and under-developed leg tendons.
She was reliant on that wheelchair — ‘was’ being the key word. Talbot, with help from the Rotary Club of Yellowknife, St. Patrick High School, and many others, raised enough money for Guadalupe’s operation, about $5,000.
Almost $2,000 was used for the surgery while the rest went to ongoing therapy, Talbot explained.
He’s back in Yellowknife now, but this past March, he got to reconnect with Guadalupe, he said.
She’s 19 and runs her own business as a beautician. She might stand a little less than five feet tall, but she now does it on her own two feet.
It was admittedly pretty emotional for Talbot to see her again.
“I’ve always referred to her as my angel,” he said of Guadalupe. “She had an aura about her when I gave her a wheelchair, I don’t know what it was.”
When Talbot went back to visit, he said, “It’s so good to see my angel again.” But Guadalupe’s mom had someone else in mind for that title.
“She said ‘No, you’re the angel.’”
Talbot had a hard time coming up with the words to describe how he felt in that moment, but it might just be the most significant thing he’s done in his life, he said.
No matter how great an impact he’s had, he’s always one to share. He doesn’t want others in this city having their good deeds go unnoticed either.
Talbot explained the assembly line involved when it comes to delivering wheelchairs in Mexico. He raises money, which then goes to the Canadian Wheelchair Foundation, who then arrange for the purchase of the mobility devices.
The chairs are actually manufactured in a small factory in Mexico. They then get shipped to Mazatlan, and, eventually, to the people there in need.
“I’m one piece of the puzzle,” Talbot said.
With tears in his eyes, all he could say was there was just something truly special about little Guadalupe all those years ago.
“I don’t talk to everybody that receives a wheelchair,” Talbot said. “Out of the blue I thought, ‘I’m going to ask her mom if there’s a chance she could walk again.’ Why I did it? I don’t know.’”
The last time Talbot had heard about Guadalupe before he saw her in March was about 10 years ago, he said.
It’s a massive accomplishment, but it seems Talbot is far from finished with his charitable work. He said he’ll be back down south around wintertime. He might see Guadalupe again in December.
As for what fuels his fire, even he isn’t quite too sure, though he did cite his parents as a starting point.
“My folks taught me that if God does bless you with some financial wealth, then you need to share it. And they always used to hammer into me a verse from the Bible: ‘It’s better to give, than to receive.’”