little update! So because the need for the chair is Urgent, Donna and her partner have decided they will still be taking a loan out for this chair, as they also have an express option for around £100 extra. They were always needing a loan for the WAV payment, so now any money we can raise for her will be going to paying off this loan early and helping out as much as possible.

TL;DR: fundraising to help pay for a specially adapted active wheelchair for my friend with cerebral palsy and now 2 strokes who needs to move from power to active wheelchair to aid movement and recovery 💖

Hi! I’m Meg and I’m here fundraising for my friend Donna so she can get an active wheelchair, as someone who had to do the exact same last year I know how hard it is to accept you need to ask for help from the community and Donna has been through so much that I want to do this on her behalf , and use my platforms as a disabled small business owner to get Donna the help she needs, she has cerebral palsy and now two strokes in the last year among other issues, I know more than anyone how crap it can be navigating more and more diagnosis and less and less support from the nhs or otherwise, and disabled people deserve to be able to live freely within their needs without having to be in crippling debt on top of that. Donnas constant changing health meant she had to raise the funds for a powerchair (which a long time ago was told is her only mobility aid option, and now has to work back the strength lost) and their motability car cannot fit this, meaning she is back to using a chair that causes her pain and suffering, and after asking motability for help to get a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV), they have a charity able to give partial funds but it still leaves about £5000 for them to find to pay for the vehicle. Being disabled is expensive and constantly springing new equipment we need that is costly and unaffordable. Donna and her partner have had to give up so much in their life to make way for her needs and she deserves so much more, especially this active chair to gain back so much that she has lost over the years. The disabled community are amazing at helping each other out and I hope this will another example of that.

“Hi, I'm Donna and I'm raising money for an active wheelchair. I feel incredibly awkward about this. But, I cannot afford to fund this equipment alone and I'm not eligible for a suitable manual wheelchair from the nhs as I am an ambulatory wheelchair user and the nhs manual wheelchairs are too heavy for me to be able to self propel. Criteria for an active wheelchair via the nhs is incredibly strict and i do not meet it.

As anyone with a disability will tell you often our disabilities are dynamic and can change or develop over time- we need different aids for different days. It's like needing a rain coat , in a downpour. I never expected to be in this position, but I have recently had a second stroke and where as the first one was a coincidental finding when I was having investigations for a different condition,the damage was already permanent, and I was unaware it had happened. This is known as a 'silent stroke'.

This time around however; I was fully aware it was happening and it was genuinely the most terrifying experience of my life as , I lost the ability to speak temporarily and genuinely thought I was going to be permanently stuck without my voice.

As part of my rehab and recovery I need to be able to exercise and regain some strength. Because of other health conditions, normal routes such as the gym or crutches aren't really accessible to me or safe for me to use independently, right now.

An active wheelchair would allow me to exercise and access a gym safely along with neuro rehab physiotherapy, to try and improve my balance and hopefully in the longer term get me back on my feet a bit more. I am scared that without the ability to focus on my rehab, I'm going to lose further function or have another stroke with dire consequences. Upto now , I have been incredibly lucky all things considered.

Currently, I'm a high falls risk and given the the delicate state of my brain , a concussion could be life altering yet again. So this is why I need a way to work on my strength and mobility without necessarily being on my feet at the moment. An active wheelchair would be the equivalent of me walking around in terms of exercise.

I have had fantastic input from the nhs neuro rehab physio, but the hard work, now has to come from me and despite brainstorming with fellow disabled friends, this seems to be the most accessible and safest way to do that. (also sadly the most costly) but I am fully committed to finding a way to regain some control and hopefully take some positive steps, along the way.

The truth is , this is exhausting and has been incredibly traumatic for myself and my loved ones. Everytime I think I've found some equilibrium, the rug has been pulled out from under me. I have a lot of life ahead of me, I want to live it to its fullest; I just need some help to be able to do that.

I've paid for an ot assessment and have been fitted for a ki rouge alx. With the custom features I need ( skin protective cushion, custom hand rims and a supportive back rest) the total is around 5k.

Times are incredibly trying for everyone at the moment and I feel an immense amount of guilt regarding this ,I don't expect to raise the full amount and even if people can't donate, sharing the fundraiser is just as helpful and sincerely appreciated.

D 💖”