
Help get my life back, with a Power Add-on for my wheelchair
Donation protected
We are fundraising for a Tri ride Special Compact HT All road, power add-on, for my partner Yvonne’s wheelchair.
Our aim is to reach £3000 by the 1st of April, and the remainer by the 1st of June. Yvonne can then order the power add-on and start enjoying it this summer!
Yvonne was born with Ehlers – Danlos syndrome , type 3- hypermobility. After many years of suffering, she was finally diagnosed with EDS and fibromyalgia at the age of 38 years.
EDS causes joint instability, joint subluxations, muscle weakness and chronic pain. EDS also causes tissue fragility. This has resulted in four major surgeries over the last four years, including a hysterectomy, and she is still being seen by specialists for ongoing gastrologic issues and dysautonomia.
EDS is a slowly progressive disease. Little by little, it takes away your mobility, independence and your future dreams; your passions, your hobbies, your occupation.
Yvonne can no longer keep up with her peers. She had to give up her hobbies, and passions; interior and lighting design, sculpture making, swimming, and going on long walks. EDS is what we call ‘the dream crushing disease’, as it slowly takes away everything that you love undertaking. What you get in return is a long journey of visiting the GP and health specialist to find answers, and many years of disbelief by these same specialists, and sometimes even by family and friends.
Yvonne was relieved to finally get the diagnoses, but had not realised this was not the end of her journey, but just the beginning of a new chapter. Questions came to mind; how do you deal with a chronic condition in daily life? How will your network respond? How on earth will you find and maintain a job and be financially independent, when your body is working against you? Yvonne struggled a lot with all of this and the chronic pain, that it started to impact her mental health.
By nature, Yvonne is a cheerful and kind person. She is keen to learn and develop herself, she is a fighter. Yvonne didn’t give up. She found a part time job and now works thirteen and a half hours spread out over three working days. In between she spends a lot of her time resting and sleeping.
She bought back a bit of her life by purchasing a bespoke, manual folding Quicky wheelchair and an additional set of mountain bike wheels to go with the power add-on, which cost just over £2360, -. These items and a power add-on, are not supported by the NHS.
Yvonne cannot propel herself due to muscle weakness, sub luxating joints, chronic pain and fatigue. For Yvonne to fully get her independence back, she will need a power add-on for her wheelchair.
Our aim is to raise £5320 to purchase a Tri ride Special Compact HT All road. This bike will give Yvonne her independence back again and will help her with pacing her energy. She will then be able to take long walks with her dog Sunny, go grocery shopping in the local high street, visit London for a day, ride on the beach, the woods and the fields, and more.
We would be grateful with every pound that you can spare, and every share of my ‘go fund me’ page. To help us obtain our goal and give Yvonne back quality of life.
Warm wishes,
Erwin, Yvonne and her daughter Ariane.
Fundraising team (2)

Yvonne Doornbos
Organizer
England
Erwin Kuipers
Team member