Main fundraiser photo

Need a Wheelchair

My legs have applied for early retirement without informing me, and my feet are giving notice as well.

Seriously, though - I have cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy itself doesn't get worse - the brain injury is static. I am part of the first cohort of folks with CP to make it into middle age AND have been followed medically. What is being discovered is best described as a body-wide overuse injury. In my 20's and early 30's I was everywhere - performing in physically-based political theatre, going on marches, traveling the country - and I wouldn't trade those experiences for the world.

However, the unexpected effect of all of this is that my legs and feet are done. These days, when I fall I break a rib. I get exhausted after walking a block. My legs are in pain after putting dishes in the dishwasher. I need a wheelchair in order to have a useful life. I'm not particularly upset about this - but it needs to happen.

I am very lucky to have health insurance. However, to get durable medical equipment approved (the category that wheelchairs fall into) can take 6-8 months, and I can't wait that long.

In addition ,I would not just need any wheelchair, but a power whelchair, as my right hand does whatever it wants, and doesn't include wheeling anything on the list of what it wants to do.  My fiancee and I own a beautiful, blue Toyota Corolla - Jolie.  Jolie is lovely. However, she is  only big enough to hold a folding  wheelchair.

While there are folding power wheelchairs, Medicare considers them luxuries and won't cover them. I've done plenty of research (as I love to do) and found a chair that meets my needs.

Here they (the chair is non-binary) are: 
Nhttps://www.foldandgowheelchairs.com/travel-friendly/heavy-duty-fold-n-go-pink/

Not only will the heavy-duty wheels allow me to travel in snow, not only is the chair light enough for my fiancee to fold and lift it, but it's PINK!!! 

I hate asking for help, especially when that help involves money, but this chair would allow me to have a life as opposed to just an existence - so I'm  putting my pride aside and reaching out to y'all. Any amount you can give would help - no donation is too small.
I'm not in a place to offer a lot of perks, but I have one. The person whose donation gets us to the $3000 goal (wheelchair plus accessories) gets to name the them.

Stretch Goal:

Any money raised over $3000 will go to making the house more possible for me to negotiate, whether that is making  it smarter and easier to control by voice, or adding a chairlift so I can access the second floor without being exhausted by the climb, or putting in ramps if necessary - I'm sure there are going to be costs   on this journey into wheelchairdom that I haven't even considered.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and I hope to be able to post  a photo of me in my new pink wheelchair sooner rather than later.

Excelsior!

Warmly,

Brad Rothbart




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    Brad Rothbart
    Organizer
    Flourtown, PA
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