My name is Shellie-Ann, and for the past 18 and a half years I have been fighting brain cancer. It has been a long and exhausting journey, with countless surgeries and treatments that have taken a serious toll on my body. Today, I am wheelchair and bedbound, (mainly bedbound only in my chair to go to appointments or to travel from my bed to the bathroom) and even the simple act of resting has become a struggle.

The bed I currently use is very old (17yrs old) and broken, and no longer supports my needs. Because my breathing was damaged during one of my previous surgeries, I need to sleep on an incline. An adjustable bed would allow me to finally rest safely and comfortably. I am also unable to now sit myself up successfully without excessive pain and struggle.

While I could be given a hospital-style bed, I know from experience that being surrounded by equipment that looks clinical is a constant reminder of illness, hospice, and hospital stays. I’ve spent far too much of the last almost 19 years in hospital, hospice and treatment beds. What I truly long for is an adjustable bed that looks like a normal bed—a piece of furniture that feels like it belongs in a home, not a ward. I truly believe it would be detrimental to my mental state to constantly have that reminder, and also accept that as a still “relatively young” woman, I am now restricted to a hospital bed.

I have contacted many adjustable bed companies regarding this and they have stated that due to my specific needs, it would be hand built to my specifications, in the uk they’re not factory made in numbers, they’re made to fit the person buying it.

The cost of the bed that would give me this comfort is £2,800. I know that is a significant amount of money, and I have tried to save as much as I can, but at this stage, it would take me far too long to reach that goal on my own. This amount would be reduced if I settled for a single bed, however I have two sons and the only things I can do with them and with my mumma is let them chill on my bed and watch films etc. so I would like to get a dual (2 single mattresses in one double base with dual control). This means I could get a standard double but the boys being boys would adjust the bed to suit their comfortability whilst watching a film and potentially cause me more pain without realising. Whereas with a dual bed it’s two single beds in one frame but are controlled separately.

I don’t ask for help lightly. I’ve spent so many years just trying to “get by,” but right now, I don’t feel like I live—I only exist. Having this bed would not cure my illness, it wouldn’t rid me of pain - it would reduce or prevent the pain caused trying to sit up unaided, and trying to get out of a broken bed to stand and furniture walk to my chair to go to the bathroom - but it would also give me the dignity of comfort, and help make each day a little easier to bear.

If you are able to contribute, no matter how small, it would mean the world to me. And if you can’t, simply sharing my story would help more than you know.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading and for caring.

You all mean the world to me and I’m grateful for everyone of you!