Greetings!

My name is Anna , I live in Philadelphia, PA and I am trying to raise money for an electric wheelchair.

I am severely I’ll with ME/CFS ( myalgic encephalomyelitis/ chronic fatigue syndrome)

Despite the unfortunate name of this illness it is a devastating multi system disease.

The severity of my illness means that I am 90% bedridden and 100% housebound. That’s been my reality for 4 years now.

I don’t go outside for months at a time. I go mostly for doctors appointments and I am completely dependent on other people.

Unfortunately I can’t use a manual wheelchair either, my body is too weak to propel myself in it.

I feel like a caged animal, stuck in a body that doesn’t work anymore. I miss being outside, seeing trees and people. I miss the wind on my face. Places I love. An ability to run an errand or just go out for a walk.

Summer is my favorite time of the year and it’s around the corner and the thought that once again I am going to spend it locked in a room , imprisoned by my own body just takes away the will to live.

Having an electric wheelchair would improve my quality of life immeasurably.

I found an electric wheelchair that fits my needs exactly:

1. It’s lightweight.

2. It’s foldable ( so I can ask a friend to take me to the park and they can easily put it in a trunk of their car)

3. It’s all terrain, which means decent suspension so I will not get sick on a bumpy road.

4. It has good travel range on the battery.

5. It’s reclining! Very important for me as I also have POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) which means that I can’t be in a vertical position for more than 15-20 min at a time, even sitting up.

The price of that wheelchair comes to about $3500 with accessories that are sold separately (head support and legs extensions for reclining position).

I have a Facebook page where I’ve been posting about my illness since march 2021, please take a look if you interested in knowing more:

https://m.facebook.com/SurvivingSevereMECFC?mibextid=LQQJ4d

Thank you for reading those far and for your kind support.