I worked for the NHS for 18 years despite using a wheelchair since my late teens.

I’m now back in their hands as a patient with profound orthostatic intolerance and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) Basically this means my blood pools in my lower body forgeting to stay in my head so I faint.

Having a spinal cord injury for 25 years doesn’t help as my calf muscles don’t send blood to my brain either.

To stop me fainting , my legs need to be raised.

11 weeks of being ‘bed bound‘ in hospital has been really tough and moreover, I don’t know when this will end.

I got to trial the wheelchair I need after 5 weeks and for the first time since being admitted, I could spend an hour out of bed. It was amazing and liberating, and at the touch of a button I could raise my legs to stop me fainting.

Seeing the chair being taken away was totally gut wrenching.

To ensure my future and get out of hospital costing the NHS £400 a day, I need this £17K Sedeo Jive wheelchair that has powered leg raisers.

I’ve lost my job because of my ill health. I refuse to now stay in hospital with no mobility because I need this (non-NHS issue) wheelchair.