Leo's Go-Adventure Wheelchair Fund

I'm Leo and I'm useless at writing this sort of thing. I'm a Writer, capital intended, so you'd think I'd be good at popping together an About Me whatsit for a page like this. Yet, here we are.

I suffer from FMS (also known as fibromyalgia and FM) as well as a presently undiagnosed rheumatoid condition which is more than likely early-onset rheumatoid arthritis.

Both of these cause widespread pain, muscle weakness, swollen joints, nerve pain and increased sensitivity to touch and proximity. Chronic fatigue, insomnia and GI tract issues are also an issue, alongside the pain and the brain fog.

Because of these conditions, I use a wheelchair 100% of the time when I leave the house. Without the chair, I wouldn't have a life outside the house. This is particularly important, since I also suffer from anxiety as well, and being out of the house can sometimes help with this--especially in regards to my very severe social anxiety: leaving the house helps remind me that I don't need to be trapped inside the house (and my own head) all the time. However, my current wheelchair is old and not very good. In fact, sitting it in causes pain and discomfort and it is not suitable for most terrains, even struggling with cobblestones that are slightly uneven and with any surface that isn't completely straight and even. 

That makes things such as exploring almost impossible. I'm unable to go out and enjoy a new town or city whenever I am able to travel, because I never know if my wheelchair will cope with the old fashioned streets found in the kind of places I enjoy visiting. When trying to tackle troublesome terrain, my wheelchair shakes and jolts me and this causes even more pain and discomfort and has even been known to trigger flares (periods where my symptoms are exacerbated and more acute/intense than usual). In addition to the general exploration of towns and cities, my rickety wheelchair is terrible on hills and hard work for my brother to push me up without the fear of the wheelchair tipping me or jolting me very badly.

As for the beautiful parks and surrounding countryside of my hometown--I don't stand a chance with my current wheelchair. I want to be able to go out into the Cotswolds, to go to the lovely parks and commons in my town and get out of the house, to actually enjoy time outdoors instead of feeling constantly limited by where my wheelchair can and cannot go. I just want to be able to appreciate travel and a little adventure, even with my illnesses. There's currently no cure for FMS and I'll have this condition for life. I'm young and I want to still have some control over where I can go and what I can do.

I'm lucky that I don't need a powerchair, as they are very, very expensive. Whilst there are days where I can't push myself very far or for very long, my brother is always with me as my anxieties mean I cannot go out alone anyway. But what I do need is an outdoor, all-terrain wheelchair that can handle a little adventure. I feel like, since being diagnosed with my illness four years ago, I've slowly started claiming some of my life as it was back--and I want that to continue.

I want to be able to enjoy the rest of the summer (and beyond!) being able to go out and do the things I so very badly want to, but that my wheelchair is preventing me from doing. The money raised will be used to buy me a brand new Excel All-Terrain Outdoor SP, which is sturdy, stable and comfortable, as well as having wheels and a frame designed to tackle any terrain--such as woods and hills and parks. Basically it will let me go off-road and have the kinds of adventures I used to have (both urban and countryside) before I was sick. And the steady wheels and strong brakes will also make hilly cities like Edinburgh a possibility again.

I can't even express how grateful I would be to be able to acquire this chair within the next few months, especially as I'm spending a long weekend in London to attend a convention, and I want to be able to freely travel around and enjoy my time in the city properly.

Thank you in advance for any money at all you can donate towards the wheelchair--and if you're unable to donate, please share this around to help me raise the funds.