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Phoebe Boag raised £3,075 from 67 supporters

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Closed 13/11/2017

0%
£3,075
raised of £3,075 target by 67 supporters

    Weʼve raised £3,075 to fund Phoebe's electric wheelchair

    Peebles, United Kingdom
    Funded on Monday, 13th November 2017

    Don't have time to donate right now?

    Story

    UPDATE (4th November 2017)

    NO MORE DONATIONS PLEASE!

    I've reached my target!

    The minimum page duration is 30 days though so I can't close my page until Monday 13th November.

    If there are further donations (which are not necessary) I will be donating them to the UK charity, Invest in ME Research.

    THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE!!!

    Phoebe xxx

    ~~~

    UPDATE (26th October 2017)

    Yesterday was day 12 of my campaign and I reached my initial target of £2795! It's been so quick that I can't even withdraw any of the funds yet! I'm so grateful for every single donation and I can't thank you all enough. It has meant more to me than simply being able to purchase this wheelchair, I'll elaborate in a blog post soon, but for now, thank you so much. x

    When I set my initial target of £2795, I had been planning on covering the costs of the JustGiving fees (roughly 6.5% of the total amount raised, so around £180) and the delivery fee for my wheelchair (£80) myself. However, I have some friends who had intended to make a donation but needed to wait for payday. They have asked me, since I've met my initial target, if they can contribute to these fees. So, taking this into consideration, I decided to increase my target to £3075. If I reach my new target of £3075, after deducting the JustGiving fees (around £200), I will get close to £2875, which will cover all the costs involved with buying the wheelchair.

    To be completely transparent, here is a breakdown of the costs involved...

    Wheelchair, second battery and travel bag - £2496

    Insurance for three years - £299

    Delivery by Careco engineer who will show me how to use it - £80

    Total Cost - £2875

    I didn't even expect to reach £2795, never mind £3075. I can't thank you all enough for your generosity, encouragement and support.

    Thank you, Phoebe x

    ~~~

    I am raising money for an electric wheelchair which I hope will help me regain some of my lost mobility, freedom and independence.

    I have had the neuro-immune illness Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) since 2014. At that time I was living in Leith and working for an Edinburgh based homeless charity in a job that I loved. I had also just been offered the job/opportunity of a lifetime, I was going to be living and working at the 'Penguin Post Office' in Antarctica for four months. Unfortunately, just a few months before I was due to leave, I became unwell with a set of mysterious symptoms, and I had to pull out of Antarctica. I was eventually signed off work in December 2014, I was diagnosed with ME early 2015, and mid-2015 I moved back to my hometown Peebles, so I would be closer to my mum, who does a lot to care for me.

    ME is massively misunderstood, it is not, as the common myth would suggest, 'being tired'. ME is a chronic fluctuating illness that causes symptoms affecting many body systems, more commonly the nervous and immune systems. Dr Nancy Klimas, Director of the Miami Institute for Neuro Immune Medicine said about ME patients... "They experience a level of disability equal to that of patients with late-stage AIDS and patients undergoing chemotherapy". There are no treatments and there is no cure, I can only 'manage' my symptoms as best I can. It is hugely debilitating and my life has changed beyond recognition.

    I decided to buy an electric wheelchair in the hope that it will give me back some of my life. It will allow me to go places that have been off limits due to my limited mobility. At the moment I can't walk or stand for more than a minute or so without an increase in my symptoms, I'll experience dizziness, lightheadedness and will feel on the verge of fainting. I'll lose the strength in my legs and will risk collapsing to the ground. I'll lose my sense of balance, become disorientated, and risk falling and bumping into things (I have only had two bone breaks in my life, and they were both because of this). I am mainly housebound, but I am hoping that having a wheelchair will allow me to get out and about a bit more often than I am currently able to, and therefore improve my quality of life.

    The wheelchair I have chosen is lightweight and foldable. I need to be able to lift, fold and unfold the wheelchair myself. I also need it to be electric, as I don't have the strength in my arms to self propel in a manual wheelchair.

    I write a blog about my experience of living with ME.

    To learn more about ME and the symptoms I'd urge you to read this post...

    Post Seven. Symptoms.

    I'd also urge you to read this post, in which I shared my feelings about my decision to purchase a wheelchair...

    Post Sixteen. Wheelchair Or Not?

    I am hoping to raise £2795. This will allow me to purchase the WC09058 Foldawheel Electric Wheelchair from Careco.co.uk, a second battery, a travel bag to protect it when it's not in use or while travelling, and three years of insurance. I will cover the cost of the fees charged by JustGiving and Careco's delivery fee.

    If you'd like to check out my future wheels, take a peek at this video...

    Any contribution will be greatly appreciated!

    Thank you for your support. x

    PS I don't know if the website stops accepting donations once the target has been met. I'll keep an eye on it but If I do go over my target, I'll be donating the extra cash to the UK charity, Invest In ME Research.

    Updates

    15

    • Phoebe Boag7 years ago
      Phoebe Boag

      Phoebe Boag

      7 years ago

      I’ve reached my target! I can’t believe it. Thank you so much Sandy, Abigail and Emma for your recent donations. I’m so grateful to you. x I can’t thank everyone enough for their generosity, encouragement and support. It’s meant so much to me. I’ll be sharing my thoughts, and my thanks, in a blog post soon. x

      Share this update to help us raise more

    • Phoebe Boag7 years ago
      Phoebe Boag

      Phoebe Boag

      7 years ago

      Thank you so much for your recent donations Clara, Agnieszka, Claire, Peter and Vikki. I’m so grateful to you. x Only £85 to go!

      Share this update to help us raise more

    • Phoebe Boag7 years ago
      Phoebe Boag

      Phoebe Boag

      7 years ago

      I’m so close to my final target! Thank you so much for your recent donations Angela, Phil and Richard. I’m so grateful to you. x

      Share this update to help us raise more

    7 years ago

    Phoebe Boag started crowdfunding

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    Page last updated on: 11/5/2017 00.28

    Supporters

    67

    • Emma McGlynn

      Emma McGlynn

      Nov 4, 2017

      You are done!

      £30.00

    • Abigail Penman

      Abigail Penman

      Nov 4, 2017

      £10.00

    • Anonymous

      Anonymous

      Nov 3, 2017

      From Sandy.

      £45.00

    • Vikki Grimes

      Vikki Grimes

      Nov 1, 2017

      £10.00

    • claire and Peter craig

      claire and Peter craig

      Nov 1, 2017

      Hope this helps x

      £20.00

    • Agnieszka Swida

      Agnieszka Swida

      Oct 31, 2017

      Thank you for being such a great inspiration!

      £10.00

    • Clara Cromar

      Clara Cromar

      Oct 30, 2017

      Hope you get the freedom you deserve! Clara and family

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    Phoebe Boag

    Phoebe Boag

    Peebles, United Kingdom

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