Help Caroline Stay Mobile with a Custom Manual Wheelchair

Hello, I’m Caroline! I am 19 years old and I am in college. I was born with a condition called Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita, which means that my joints and muscles did not develop properly.

I use a motorized wheelchair every day. However, going about the campus has put a strain on my chair, and I have been having motor issues.

I am asking for your help so that I can get a manual wheelchair as a backup. I have no core strength and can't really hold myself up well, so I would have to have it custom-made.

Having a manual wheelchair would allow me to continue to go out and go to class when I need to when my power chair has some issues. It would also allow me to go out with friends without worrying about transportation and trying to get a wheelchair bus (which is unreliable, and I have been left stranded many times and had to get a doctor 2 hours away to pick me up).

My current power chair is less than a year old, but because I am going across campus 4+ times a day, it’s wearing down and needs to have a break, similar to a car when you can’t drive it for a few days.

Unfortunately, insurance refuses to pay for a manual chair because it’s not "medically necessary," but it is! I try and stay as involved in my community as I possibly can. I work at my local YMCA, I am in theatre, I’ve joined my school’s improv troupe, and I have friends who I would love to hang out with outside of my messy dorm. However, I cannot do these things if my power chair’s motor gets overheated, or the battery starts malfunctioning (these are just some of the issues I’ve been having).

I don’t want to put my life on pause while I wait on insurance to keep running in circles, so I am begging for your help! Please help me continue to be independent, and not let my disability stop me!