Help a disabled trans woman get a wheelchair!

My name is Nora, I'm a 25-year-old Asian American trans woman living in NYC. Over the last 10 months, my health has been in rapid decline. Starting in July 2022, I started being unsteady on my feet after walking for long periods of time. Very quickly, this developed into an inability to walk or stand for more than a few minutes at a time before falling or developing debilitating pain and fatigue. We've estimated that I've probably fallen more than forty times since developing this issue. The doctors have been working around the clock to figure out what's wrong with me with no answers and no effective treatments. I've been nearly completely housebound for about the last eight months, unable to go for walks in the park or buy groceries for myself or do much of anything beyond sitting alone at my desk all day. I've been very lucky to be able to have recently moved in with my partner, Maya, who has helped me with things like cooking and groceries and cleaning. But the problem remains, and I am still housebound.

Thankfully, I've been able to go through the process of acquiring a wheelchair through the "proper channels". A wheelchair is not just a chair with wheels - it's a prosthetic extension of your body. If I am going to be using one every day, it has to be custom-built to my body, and it has to be light so I can push it without hurting myself. Because of this, even with health insurance covering a significant chunk of this wheelchair, the price of this chair still comes out to be $1000.

I want to go for a stroll down the sidewalk in the sun more than once every few weeks. I want to be able to go to the library or the park or just wander around the mall like I used to do. I want to be able to live my life! I'm 25 years old, I have so much life in me and ahead of me, and I want to be able to do at least some of the things I want to be able to do. To do that I need a wheelchair that won't hurt my body. A mobility device like this isn't just a tool or an aid to me - it's independence, it's access to friends and community, it's getting my life back.

Anything you can offer is helpful. I really appreciate you taking the time to read my story. If I could get this wheelchair and start living my life again, it would mean the world to me. Thank you so much.

All the best,

Nora