Hi! My name in Anushka and I’ve recently made a big potentially life changing decision... I’m getting myself an electric wheelchair/power chair!

I have a few diagnoses I’ve been collecting over the years, including chronic fatigue, POTS, endometriosis and hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD). And in the last year, my health has significantly changed. I currently spend most days at home in my room, calculating how much energy I’m using, anxious about every step I take, and scared about triggering a flare up. I’ve missed out on so much, and it’s been incredibly hard watching my friends live their lives while I’m often unable to join them.

I’ve been thinking more and more about how a wheelchair could change everything over the last few months, but something was holding me back. I was worried I didn’t deserve one, or I wasn’t “disabled enough”. Luckily, I’m surrounded by an incredible disabled community that soon shook some sense into me!

An incredible friend, Kale, took me out on a trip around town with power chairs and that’s when everything changed. I felt my freedom come flooding back. Instead of telling myself “I can’t”, because it would cause pain and fatigue, I was telling myself “LET’S GO”!! The world opened up to me again that day. And I’ve been excited ever since.

Kale lent me their spare chair for Pride weekend and I spent the night smiling and laughing, and not worrying so much about my health, and the impact of going out. I felt like myself, not just a body managing illness. I still had a flare up while I was out, and became tachycardic, but I was able to manage my symptoms significantly better with the support of the chair.

I would love to be independent again, and with your help, I believe that it can be possible. I have been researching chairs and have found a few main options that meet my needs. You can have a nosey here:

The Comfy Carbon

LiteMax 2

Freedom Pro ST

Any funds that I raise over the price of a chair will be donated to the Find a Friend Project charity, where all money will be directly received by our friends in G@za and Sud@n!

P.s. I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has helped me through this past year, but a special shout out to my disabled community who have allowed me to be unapologetically me!

Thank you to Ocean, Juno, Luke, Lilly, Kale, Holly, everyone at Disability Action Brighton and the Care Collective.

I also want to thank my friends and family who have been incredible allies, who have learnt about my conditions, have cared for me, have cooked for me and have always believed me. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart.