Help Fund My Son's New Wheelchair!

My name is Audrey Farrelly, and I'm Jacob's mum. I'm setting up this fundraiser to help pay for his new OMEO wheelchair.

To explain his life in his own words, here is a letter from Jacob:

Jacob's Letter:

My name is Jacob, and I'm writing to you because I need your help.

My Story

Just over 23 years ago, I was born with cerebral palsy, a disability which has greatly limited my mobility. This is a condition that also affects my twin brother, Thomas, who also suffers from additional complex needs. When I was child, I attended an SEN school, and I used a kaywalker - a kind of walking frame, which is designed for larger accessible spaces. As I moved into a mainstream secondary school, I found that a manual wheelchair was necessary, as it was getting harder and harder to walk. Moving through secondary school and university (Oxford - my brain was fine at least), the wheelchair became another obstacle to struggle with. I battled with decreasing mobility in a world which increasingly demanded more - more than I felt able to give.

Just over a year ago, I graduated, and, like a lot of graduates, felt very anxious about what was coming next (although, like most graduates, I massively downplayed this to my parents). The problem was - and still is - that my anxiety was both about what I wanted to do, and how I'd actually be able to do it. I can't keep relying on my parents to help me live my life, or to live my life for me. This is especially apparent now, as Thomas requires round-the-clock care, so my independence is of paramount importance.

Given that I have limited mobility in three limbs, this independence is a dream that becomes more far-fetched and fleeting every day. I struggle to use public transport (poor accessibility), which means that I can't meet up with my friends from school and university (I'd worked hard to make) without someone with me to lend a pair of helping hands. all the things that my friends do and take for granted are things I want for myself too, such as going out, going on holiday, going to concerts, going to work - but in my manual wheelchair, I can only exist.

What We've Tried So Far

I started trying to tackle this problem last July. I knew a standard powerchair was not an option. They're big and bulky and heavily reliant on other people to accommodate. I knew, too, that adaptions to my current wheelchair were not long term solutions. I've had this one for a decade and we probably don't have much longer together. Eight months later, I took a trip to the Naidex Exhibition in Birmingham, and found the golden answer: the OMEO wheelchair by Adapt Ability - a wheelchair that moves based on torso movement, with the potential (depending on your skill level) of being completely hands-free.

It is the perfect wheelchair. It is a wheelchair that has been designed by wheelchair users, for wheelchair users. I booked a trial session, which was held in Greenwich Park, to see if I could control it and fit the wheelchair into my life, and it's perfect. All the problems I outlined earlier require the world to slow down for me. The OMEO makes me fast enough to keep up, mobile enough to enjoy it, and free enough to thrive in it. I'd be able to move over any surface, travel and access places I've never been able to, and start parts of my life that I've only dreamt about. Below is a short clip on me in the OMEO, next to someone who uses it to its fullest extent (which will hopefully be me soon!). I'd only tried it for 30 minutes at that point, but it's the freest I've ever felt.

So, happily ever after? No. Why, then, am I setting up a GoFundMe? I'll cut to the chase - it's rather expensive.

How much?

Somewhere around £22,000.

And therein lies the problem. Because we're in the middle of a cost of living crisis, and I don't have £22,000 on me. Nor does anyone I know. We've tried asking charities, but that takes forever to co-ordinate, especially when you're no longer considered a child.

So, here I am. Asking for a lot of money to buy the perfect wheelchair.

Any amount that you feel you could give towards this would be enormously appreciated, and would go towards making this dream come true. Because I'll be honest: this is my shot at independence. It's my shot at being able to live the life I deserve, on my terms. And, to me, that's worth all the money I could ever imagine.