A New Folding Electric Wheelchair

I'm Jeremy, and I'm fundraising for a new folding electric wheelchair.

I'm the caregiver of a disabled friend, and in order to provide better care, I need to be able to provide better transportaton options while allowing my friend to retain as much independence as possible. My friend's disability has left her without the strength and endurance to operate a manual wheelchair independently, and travel in her standard electric wheelchair is limited to local areas served by public transit on their schedule. She is unable to travel on a plane or standard charter bus with anything but a manual wheelchair. Lyft and Uber's "accessible" ride services are not made to assist anyone with an electric wheelchair or scooter. Even going to a local park is a challenge because manual wheelchairs do not roll well in grass or gravel. Every time I take my friend to the store, or the doctor's office, or to a party, I watch her struggle with guilt over needing anyone to push her chair for her. I watch her struggle with a loss of dignity at needing help to get to the bathroom in a restaurant. Every day, I see my friend deprived of normal experiences that most of us take for granted, all because of the limited transportation options avaialble to the handicapped.

I want to help my friend go places and enjoy as much of the life she had before disability as possible, with dignity and independence, and without the struggle of feeling guilty for needing help.

The average price for a used wheelchair lift van is $35,000. The average price for a folding electric wheelchair is $3,000. With the folding electric wheelchair, I could put it in the trunk of my existing car (or a Lyft or Uber or taxi) and help my friend more easily, comfortably, and cost effectivley travel to medical apointments, the grocery store, family funerals, friends' weddings, weekend getaways, etc. My friend would be able to get to restrooms in public places without the need for an assistant, and I would be able to focus on helping in ways that I am not able to when I am needed to push the manual chair.

I am hoping to raise $4,000 which will give me some latitude in choosing the best chair for my friend's needs and not just the cheapest chair that will do. Any money raised that isn't spent on the new folding electric wheelchair will be used for accessabilty improvements to my home where my friend spends much of her time. Such improvements would include a ramp to access the back patio, safety bars, and accessible storage solutions.

Thank you for any and all donations, and for spreading the word whether you can donate at this time or not. With love and gratitude,

-Jeremy