Help Carrie get a new wheelchair!

Hi, my name is Connie Earl, and I created this GoFundMe campaign to support my gutsy and inspiring friend, Carrie Loffree, who urgently needs help to get a new wheelchair and mobility aids.

Let me tell you a bit about Carrie’s background:

• Carrie has been in a wheelchair since a car accident in Ontario which left her with a broken back and a whole list of health challenges, just as she was about to start high school at the young age of 13.

• After spending over a year recovering in hospital, Carrie returned to “regular life” a totally changed young teen, courageously facing challenges that would overwhelm most adults! With determination and hard work, Carrie graduated from high school at the same time as her classmates.

• As an adult, Carrie went on to earn a PhD, become fluent in 3 languages, compete at the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, and adopt two children with neurodiversity and physical challenges! She has a very full life!

Here’s where Carrie’s at now:

• Carrie and her children have been living in the Comox Valley on Vancouver Island for 2 years now.

• Carrie supports her children who are homeschooling, she volunteers at the Food Bank every week, and she is working towards starting a business supporting other people with disabilities.

Carrie’s body shows signs of the tremendous physical strain of functioning for over 40 years in a wheelchair, where arms work overtime, taking over the job of legs. And she has a bright and passionate spirit that shows no signs of fading!

This brings me to the point of this campaign:

• In order to keep living a vibrant life, Carrie needs a new light-weight wheelchair with 2 add-ons that offer extra mobility.

• Carrie does not have insurance to cover the cost of these mobility aids, which is nearly $20,000 CAD. (You can find the quote Carrie got for the wheelchair and add-ons below.)

Here is how this equipment would empower my friend:

• Having a light-weight wheelchair that Carrie could lift in and out of her car would mean that she could continue to be active in the community, run errands, take her kids to appointments and classes, take care of her health, and do the whole range of regular activities that many able-bodied people take for granted. There’s no way around it – a good wheelchair is more than empowering… It’s essential!

• Having an electric motor add-on for the wheelchair would mean that Carrie would be able to manage hills and longer distances, increasing her independence, and reducing the strain on her tender shoulder joints. Cartilage wears out badly when arms are used to compensate for a total lack of leg power over the decades! A motor would help slow down that process and reduce Carrie’s shoulder pain. As I write this, Carrie’s mobility is extremely limited due to intense pain she is experiencing in her right shoulder. A solution is urgently needed!

• Having a special track wheel add-on would mean that the wheelchair would be able to go on dirt paths and grass, allowing Carrie and her family to access parks and nature beyond level, paved pathways. Imagine the restriction of having to stick to sidewalks all the time… and the freedom of having that restriction lifted! Carrie deserves that dignity!

It would be wonderful to be able to empower Carrie with the mobility aids she needs to keep showing up as an active mom and an inspiring and supportive presence in our community!

Let’s come together to give her that support!

Any amount you can donate would mean so much to Carrie and her children!

Thank you very much for your donation and for sharing this campaign with others who might like to add their support!

Any donations that go over the cost of the mobility aids will be kept in a fund dedicated to supporting the education of Carrie’s 2 children with disabilities.



. . .