A wheelchair for Nolan

Nolan is twelve years old. He was born with myelomeningocele the most severe form of spina bifida.  Recently he developed a tethered spinal cord and had to have surgery to severe his spinal cord at the thoracic region.  He became a T-11 paraplegic. Before this surgery he was a L-1 paraplegic.  Nolan has medical assistance because he is special needs adoption. Last year his doctors and physical therapist prescribed a power chair with a power lift seat for Nolan.  He was given a chair to use by the provider while they had his chair on order.  For the first time in Nolan's life, he was able to reach where he was never able to reach before.  He became more independent then he has ever been in his life. He could go into the cupboard for his own glass or cereal bowl, help himself to items he always had to rely on others to get for him. His self esteem was greatly improved as well as separation anxiety he has due to the need to depend on others for his needs. This was short lived however.   After having the loaner chair, the provider came to deliver his new chair.  It was a pediatric chair and Nolan is the size of a small adult. He was falling out of it. It was way to small on delivery and this chair is supposed to fit him for at least five to seven years. There was no way we could accept this chair and after one year of waiting, and seeing how botched the entire chair was we asked them to cancel the order and we went with a different provider.  As it turns out, Nolan has now been turned down for this chair.  Wisconsin M.A. said they never approved it and it is not covered under Wisconsin status.  This little boy was given independence and function that he has never had before in his life only to have it taken away.  This is so wrong on many levels.  

Update: As of March 2015, we are still fighting for Nolan's chair.  He received his third rejection from the insurance company.  Our next step is to go before an administrative law judge in an attempt to change the state statutes for coverage of this much needed add on to his chair.  We will never give up on Nolan's behalf. 


 


Nolan is a wonderful child.  This video is just a small example of what type of child he is.  The Climb  Through all of the adversity he faces in his own life, he never gives up the struggle and moves on with a smile and with hope. Having already faced dozens and dozens of spine, orthopedic and brain surgeries, he faces each new procedure  tears, with some fear, but knowing he is never alone.  The Climb has become his very own theme song.