Megan's electric beach wheelchair
Donation protected
Can you imagine the challenges faced going from being an independent and active person to becoming progressively disabled through multiple sclerosis relying on an electric wheelchair for mobility, losing physical independence and still trying to maintain an active role as a wife and a mother to 3 children?
When I was more able, I rode on a lawn mower from Melbourne to Sydney and raised over $60,000 for MS Australia. This was no small feat but allowed me to be a part of something where I could help make a difference to others like me. I feel it is important to point out that over the years I have raised approximately $73,000 for MS Research Australia but I have never fundraised for myself. So now this is for me and my family to fundraise for an electric beach wheelchair that has hand controls and attendant controls so I can access the beach to be with my family to share their experiences. Believe it or not, this will cost approximately $25,000 – thats why its not something we can afford on our own.
Now a little about myself. My name is Megan Healey married to Brian and we have 3 children, Sydney (16), Leilani (14) and Finlay (11). I was diagnosed in 1997 with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a benign form of MS at that point, basically the relapsing and remitting form of MS. I had relapses every 2 years but mainly sensory.
However 10 years later my life started to change when my children were 2, 5 and 7 and I developed a MS lesion on my upper spinal cord. I was started on treatment to stop the condition getting worse but unfortunately it didn’t work for me. I did not recover in the twelve months after the initial development of the lesion so basically since then my condition has changed to being a very progressive form of MS.
In 9 years I have gone from walking unaided to now being in an electric wheelchair with very limited use of my hands and arms. This has restricted very much where I can go and what I can do. As my physical impairments increase, my opportunities to be involved with and interacting with my family are more and more limited. .
There are many challenges I experience but one that impacts me significantly is the cost of suitable equipment to allow me to remain included in my family’s active life. Without this equipment, I'm excluded, left on the periphery of the family, which affects me deeply and impacts my role as a mother. The time I have with my family now is very precious to me – I might not get much more of it. This makes it even more important that I can do things with them now before it’s too late. My children are still relatively young and I am their mother therefore I should not be discriminated against or excluded because I have a progressive disability and limited access to funds for equipment that could facilitate my inclusion.
Family is very important to me and to be involved in family activities is something I would like to continue for as long as I can. All my family are beach lovers, as I was too prior to my deteriorating physical condition. But being in a wheelchair means I am unable to get onto the sand to watch and be part of the fun as my family competes in surf lifesaving training, competitions and general beach activities. At present I am left on the paved area behind the dunes, usually out of sight from where my children are competing. Being left alone and excluded from a major part of their activities leaves me feeling very depressed - they are at the beach 6/7 days a week through summer.
Over the last few years, I started to hate the beach but did not want to stop my family from doing something they enjoy because of my disability. But things changed in the 2015/2016 surf life saving season, when I was able to borrow an electric beach wheelchair that could be taken on to the sand! This totally changed my beach experience and I was able to be a part of the family and enjoy seeing them having fun.
People may say “why don’t you stay at home?” but my disability is such that I cannot be left alone as I need help to do most things and really, why should I be left at home anyway? Everything is such an effort to do but I want to be a part of my family’s life, no different to most mothers. I am continually disabled by many environments that do not allow access for ordinary people like me living with impairments.
Can you imagine seeing a child pulled out of the surf and being attended to by life guards without knowing this is your own daughter until they are loaded into the ambulance that has pulled up beside you? On two occasions I have had my daughters taken from the water and placed on a spinal board and taken to hospital, watching from a distance as it all unfolded without knowing it was them. It was terrifying as a mother not being able to be with them.
Contrast that with the joy I felt being there on the beach to watch my child winning a gold medal at the Aussie Surf Life Saving Championships this year! I got a hug immediately as I was there on the beach. Borrowing an electric wheelchair that could go on the beach allowed me to be a part of this fantastic memorable experience and be able to share in the joy with my daughter as any mother would want to.
Sadly, the borrowed electric wheelchair had to go back, and I won't get this opportunity again...unless you can help.
My goal is $25,000. Its to buy the electric beach wheelchair and a hoist to make it easy to load me into it. I do want this for me, and for my family...but when I can't use it anymore, I will donate the wheelchair to the Umina Surf Life Saving Club so that other people in the community can get the use of it.
Please support me in any way that you can, my family and I will be very grateful.
Thanks
Megan
When I was more able, I rode on a lawn mower from Melbourne to Sydney and raised over $60,000 for MS Australia. This was no small feat but allowed me to be a part of something where I could help make a difference to others like me. I feel it is important to point out that over the years I have raised approximately $73,000 for MS Research Australia but I have never fundraised for myself. So now this is for me and my family to fundraise for an electric beach wheelchair that has hand controls and attendant controls so I can access the beach to be with my family to share their experiences. Believe it or not, this will cost approximately $25,000 – thats why its not something we can afford on our own.
Now a little about myself. My name is Megan Healey married to Brian and we have 3 children, Sydney (16), Leilani (14) and Finlay (11). I was diagnosed in 1997 with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), a benign form of MS at that point, basically the relapsing and remitting form of MS. I had relapses every 2 years but mainly sensory.
However 10 years later my life started to change when my children were 2, 5 and 7 and I developed a MS lesion on my upper spinal cord. I was started on treatment to stop the condition getting worse but unfortunately it didn’t work for me. I did not recover in the twelve months after the initial development of the lesion so basically since then my condition has changed to being a very progressive form of MS.
In 9 years I have gone from walking unaided to now being in an electric wheelchair with very limited use of my hands and arms. This has restricted very much where I can go and what I can do. As my physical impairments increase, my opportunities to be involved with and interacting with my family are more and more limited. .
There are many challenges I experience but one that impacts me significantly is the cost of suitable equipment to allow me to remain included in my family’s active life. Without this equipment, I'm excluded, left on the periphery of the family, which affects me deeply and impacts my role as a mother. The time I have with my family now is very precious to me – I might not get much more of it. This makes it even more important that I can do things with them now before it’s too late. My children are still relatively young and I am their mother therefore I should not be discriminated against or excluded because I have a progressive disability and limited access to funds for equipment that could facilitate my inclusion.
Family is very important to me and to be involved in family activities is something I would like to continue for as long as I can. All my family are beach lovers, as I was too prior to my deteriorating physical condition. But being in a wheelchair means I am unable to get onto the sand to watch and be part of the fun as my family competes in surf lifesaving training, competitions and general beach activities. At present I am left on the paved area behind the dunes, usually out of sight from where my children are competing. Being left alone and excluded from a major part of their activities leaves me feeling very depressed - they are at the beach 6/7 days a week through summer.
Over the last few years, I started to hate the beach but did not want to stop my family from doing something they enjoy because of my disability. But things changed in the 2015/2016 surf life saving season, when I was able to borrow an electric beach wheelchair that could be taken on to the sand! This totally changed my beach experience and I was able to be a part of the family and enjoy seeing them having fun.
People may say “why don’t you stay at home?” but my disability is such that I cannot be left alone as I need help to do most things and really, why should I be left at home anyway? Everything is such an effort to do but I want to be a part of my family’s life, no different to most mothers. I am continually disabled by many environments that do not allow access for ordinary people like me living with impairments.
Can you imagine seeing a child pulled out of the surf and being attended to by life guards without knowing this is your own daughter until they are loaded into the ambulance that has pulled up beside you? On two occasions I have had my daughters taken from the water and placed on a spinal board and taken to hospital, watching from a distance as it all unfolded without knowing it was them. It was terrifying as a mother not being able to be with them.
Contrast that with the joy I felt being there on the beach to watch my child winning a gold medal at the Aussie Surf Life Saving Championships this year! I got a hug immediately as I was there on the beach. Borrowing an electric wheelchair that could go on the beach allowed me to be a part of this fantastic memorable experience and be able to share in the joy with my daughter as any mother would want to.
Sadly, the borrowed electric wheelchair had to go back, and I won't get this opportunity again...unless you can help.
My goal is $25,000. Its to buy the electric beach wheelchair and a hoist to make it easy to load me into it. I do want this for me, and for my family...but when I can't use it anymore, I will donate the wheelchair to the Umina Surf Life Saving Club so that other people in the community can get the use of it.
Please support me in any way that you can, my family and I will be very grateful.
Thanks
Megan
Organizer
Karen Hutchinson
Organizer
Bucketty NSW
