HELP NEEDED URGENTLY - Funding for new wheelchair

Hi, I'm Jack. I'm fully independent, but I need your support to keep moving through life that way.

 

PLEASE HELP me afford this new wheelchair - as I am desperate to expand what daily living options I have and keep an active life till the bitter end!

I had to rehome both my dogs in May 2021 as my health has degenerated so much that I simply couldn't offer them the life they needed. It broke my heart, but I had to do the best for them both. I now have to actively look for any way to expand what I can do by myself, and this chair will do that. PLEASE HELP...!!!

 

This will CHANGE my world...!!!

 

Wheelchairs that fit are game-changers - ones that don't ruin everything. It isn't about relying on a chair; this will extend everything I can do - it will allow me to do more - and I'd be SO MUCH happier as I navigate life on my own!

 

I recently checked out eight different "every day" models, but ONLY 1 matched my body and needs. This Kuschall's backrest helped me keep my posture, and my shoulder wasn't at risk of dislocating. The chair is worth £4600 new, but I've charmed the Agent so much that he is willing to offer me their 18month old display model for £2000...

 

I NEED THIS CHAIR...!!! NOW I NEED YOUR HELP...!!!

 

I have a little over two weeks to find £2000. Otherwise, I have to pay £4600 - no other chair will match my needs.

 

 

Just look at how happy I was after FINALLY find the chair that would change my world!

 

 

Why I need your help:

I need this chair because I am sick and tired of giving up on being happy. I have to cut life short because there is nowhere suitable to rest, I have to constantly think, "Ok, I'm going to have to leave now as I can't afford to risk not being able to drive home," or I'm so tired that I can't even find the energy to make a cup of tea when I get home! My issues WILL get worse - if I don't act assertively and get prepared, I'll be 100% stuck.

 

I'm 36 and have lived on my own since 16 - I want to keep it that way. I have ZERO had contact with my family since I was 16, my friends can't afford to help, I CAN'T get a loan, and there aren't charities that can help.

 

Don't believe the false claims: Motability funds electric scooters, the NHS wheelchair service ONLY helps those in England, most charities cannot help everyone, and those £250 wheelchairs are only good enough to push your nanna when you take her out for Sunday lunch!!!! I need to find private funds to buy a decent "everyday" wheelchair, and they can be £2500 for a basic 'light-weight self-propelled' model and can go anywhere up to £8000...!

 

 

About me:

I suffer from several different musculoskeletal issues that impact my mobility, with life getting harder and harder as my conditions degenerate:

 

My genetic health conditions have formed several different irreversible musculoskeletal issues, which have impacted me since birth. I managed to push through the pain until everything got worse on the 8th November 2015, when I woke up completely unable to move. Then in 2016, I had 4 TIAs in 3 months, and the Caudia Equina means I wake up every day like "The Bride" on Kill Bill - shouting "MOVE" at my feet...! Eventually, I will lose complete power in both my legs (100% - inoperable), which could be in a month or 10 years - so I need a good chair NOW to make sure the transition is ok!

 

All my issues limit what I do daily, and at 36, I am determined to remain independent for as long as I can. In the past, I completed 2 x 300mile bike rides, a 500km solo-throughike, climbed over 30 mountains, and hitchhiked or backpacked all over the globe... So you can not even imagine how much my life has changed now that I am left unable to walk or complete routine daily tasks. This means I have to upgrade my mobility aids NOW - as my 26-year-old wheelchair is like Trigger's broom (with the new parts costing more than a new chair that's straight out of the box).

 

So far, I've broken both ankles 5-6 times, broken both wrists 5-6 times, and my mobility is heavily impacted by the four fully herniated vertebral discs and nine that have shrunk due to severe dehydration - this means I've shrunken 4cm and have a row of bone spurs going up the entire spine. Eventually, I'll be more hunched over than a 90year old as more herniations will happen.

 

Similarly, I severely injured my right shoulder after a VERY bad fall on 31st Jan 2019, which means I have fully dislocated the joint 49 times and have had over 50 subluxations; it pops in-and-out when reaching for a cup of coffee, putting on a jacket, or as I'm waking up (those times are the worst)!

 

 

The Chair

I tried eight different models when I went to the dealer - this Kuschall is one of the top models, starting at £4600 for this base model. However, they have had this chair for 18 months and are looking to bring in a newer model. They have been so kind as to offer it to me for £2000 as they are aware of how my health issues limit my choices and how I will struggle to buy anything else due to financial difficulties in finding so much money at once.

 

Yes, there are many 'cheaper' options out there - but 'cheap' is an important word! These NHS 'sporty' chairs being advertised are not what they seem - it's all a scam! I can't use these NHS chairs as the wheels are too far forwards, the sat back makes me slouch, and I've gotten friction burns from the tires. These types are NOT suitable for everyday use = as they are made for the user to be pushed. This process is difficult enough as it is, but it's worse than a kick in the teeth when you hear "Get an NHS chair" - I am only looking for an "everyday" chair that offers me the ability to self-propel. The biggest issue is - that even a basic "everyday" model starts at £2500+, and as I'm surviving on £58 a week, I won't EVER be able to afford the one I need.

 

 

How I will "pay it back":

1. This chair will allow me to do a PhD - even after all the trouble my health has caused whilst being on my academic career journey, I am determined to fulfil my dreams of becoming a university lecturer and CHANGING THE WORLD (my research focus is on challenging the way refugee camps are built!). Without using this chair, I won't be able to continue this dream.

 

2. I want this chair so that I can create fun and informative videos that share what it is like when you need to use mobility aids. I've already been on TV using my current chair, but I need this chair to become a strong advocate for those with chronic illnesses and cover topics that educate others about "invisible disabilities." I want to document how to navigate life in a world that does not match the needs of everyone, I want to create informative videos for EVERY car available on the Motability Scheme, and I want to show people exactly what it is like doing daily activities (from start to finish) - and it will allow me to do so much more as I document my life. I'll cover nutrition, physio treatments, great places to visit, what can go wrong, what can go right - and of course, show examples of when I am not treated well as a wheelchair user.

 

3. The chair will improve my mental health - as I can go out knowing I can extend my activities no matter how tired I get... Plus, I won't be COMPLETELY fatigued when I get home.

 

 

PLEASE HELP... £5.... £10.... £100.... Whatever you can offer!

 

Even if you can't afford to support me financially - send a link to this page to all your friends that could... If you can afford to help, still send a link to ALL your friends that could help too!

 

This will honestly change my world!

 

Thank you

 

Jack