Fund an electric arm lifter arm support device

Hey,

I'm Samaya and I'm fundraising for my Dad, Graham Woolner.

Many of you will already know my Dad, or will have seen him around in his wheelchair locally in Bishops Stortford with my brother and his two huskies.

My Dad (Graham) has a disability called Chronic Spinal Muscular Atrophy, this condition is rare and comes in several variants.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy is a rare, neuromuscular condition. It causes progressive muscle wasting (atrophy) and weakness. It may affect crawling and walking ability, arm, hand, head and neck movement, breathing and swallowing. How severely people are affected, and in what way, varies greatly.

Although diagnosed as a child the condition didn't show from birth and it was around the age of 3-5 years when he first started showing symptoms, the first sign that anything was wrong was when he began falling over alot.

Initially he was misdiagnosed as having Muscular Dystrophy however he was correctly diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy roughly between the age of 10 and 15 years.

The condition affects every aspect of my Dads life, from the moment he wakes up he is hoisted into an electric wheelchair, which he is in from the moment he gets up until the moment he goes to bed, when he is hoisted back into bed.

Dad is unable to stand at all or to turn over in bed (he spends the whole night in the same position, flat on his back).

He can't transfer to a chair, manage his daily personal care (without assistance), use a regular toilet, raise his arms above his head, open a regular door or get dressed without assistance.

He struggles to lift his cup to his mouth and to push up his glasses; and struggles to cut up his dinner and feed himself.

Dad's house is heavily adapted and he is reliant on several aids and adaptions to try to maintain as much independence as possible; this includes widened door ways, electronic windows, front door and bed.

He also has an electric toilet to wash and clean him, a rise and fall sink in the kitchen and a downstairs bedroom and wet room.

He is reliant on carers and and family to help him with his daily needs, however he is getting weaker by the day and is in need of more aids, adaptions and devices to help him to maintain what little strength he now has and to maintain as much independence as is possible for as long as possible.

We are raising funds for an electronic arm lifting device that goes around his arm and is attached to the wheelchair enabling him to lift his arm higher than he has been able to for years.

With the device he can push his glasses up, shave, brush his hair, brush his teeth, lift his cup to his mouth, cut up his own dinner and feed himself and raise his arm, all things that we do hundreds of times a day without thinking about and take for granted.

Dad's Occupational Therapist has secured funding of £3000 towards the cost of the arm raiser, however it costs £5000 so we are fundraising for the £2000 to cover the rest of the cost of the device and £500 for the device to be transferred to a new NHS wheelchair (as he is awaiting an assessment for a new wheelchair)

Any additional money will be used to cover the fees taken by go fund me and any additional will go towards any other household devices or gadgets to help him manage day to day tasks.

Every day Dad is getting weaker, and his muscles are wasting away more and more which is why we are looking to raise the funds as securing charity funding could take a long time... The longer Dad is without the arm raiser the more independence, muscle and strength he is losing.

Dad has three children and has always been a brilliant Dad, who has helped us in any way he could, although when we were growing up there weren't the memories of playing football in the park or him teaching us to ride a bike because they are things that he couldn't do due to his disability.

I remember as a child, when he was able to walk with a stick, holding his hand to help him up the road, helping him to get out of the car and I remember the falls and him struggling, especially in windy weather, but he just kept going, until eventually needing a mobility scooter and then the wheelchair.

He always goes out of his way to help people, even those he doesn't really know because he's a selfless man and even when he's in severe pain, he doesn't complain or moan he just gets on with things with a smile on his face

This arm lifter really would give him some of his independence back, and help to maintain it for longer, it will help him to keep his arm mobile and hopefully to decrease the rate at which is muscle in that arm is wasting away.

My Dad doesn't ask for anything from anyone and I couldn't be prouder of him, or more blessed to call him my Dad, he's my best friend and my hero, he inspires me daily and it breaks my heart to see how much he is struggling as his condition progresses.

We are grateful of any/ every time this link is shared online and for any/ every donation made.

Thank you for taking the time to read why this fundraiser means so much, not only to my Dad, but his family too, we'd be nothing without him and any help is appreciated more than I can even put into words.

Thank you