Having given over their 20s to working as a nurse throughout the pandemic, Sam needs a wheelchair with a power attachment to give them freedom in their 30s.

Who is Sam?

Sam - aka Freddie Ocity - is a qualified nurse who spent their 20s working in hospital wards, including right through the Covid pandemic.

Over this time, they were also battling early symptoms of disability, which eventually led to them having to stop work on the wards.

In 2023, aged 28, they were finally diagnosed with MS (Multiple Sclerosis).

Sam now struggles a lot with mobility and desperately needs a proper ergonomic wheelchair with power assistance - something the NHS can't help with. Can you?

As Freddie Ocity

Sam created drag king Freddie Ocity in 2021, soon after breaking their left humerus, and has been performing drag ever since, whenever their physical and mental health allowed it.

See Freddie's Instagram

He is now a resident at Cirque du Corset, one of Dundee's most beloved monthly drag nights, and has made a name for himself as a champion of disability equality in drag. But more than that, he's an engaging, ridiculous, hilarious and nerdy performer.

Sam has to constantly evolve performing style to work around disability. To keep evolving and performing, they need the freedom of mobility that a wheelchair gives them.

About the chair

The NHS have given Sam a chair, but it's an NHS chair from an NHS budget. They can only self propel for very short distances.

Trying out a chair that properly fits was a revelation for Sam, as they saw how much easier it was to move. But any self-propelled chair is physically demanding to operate. Things might be fine inside a shopping centre or other buildings, but the moment someone comes across a hill, or a pothole, or a sloped pavement, things become much more difficult.

Adding a powered attachment like the SmartDrive or Smoov means they can travel around freely, even when their arms have pain too, or their energy levels are low.

The total cost of the chair + power attachment is closer to £6,000, but this campaign aims to raise £5,000, with a hope to get further funding from other places, potential discounts etc.

Every day counts

This campaign has no set end date, but the quicker we can raise the money, the better. Every day that passes is another day of struggle.