Hi, my name is Florence, and I’m 63. Twenty-one years ago, aged 43, my life was impacted by an inherited and progressive condition that has gradually impaired my mobility. I haven’t been able to walk for the last 12 years and drive for the last 5. Ten years ago, I purchased my first (and current) wheelchair to go on the road trip of a lifetime in the Southwest USA with my two children.

Then, in 2022, my amazing neuro-physio, who has worked with me for the last 8 years, saw encouraging signs that I could improve my mobility and suggested working at a gym centre with a coach.

This has proven to be a total game-changer by increasing the muscular power in my legs and pelvis and making my upper trunk much more upright and stronger. Against all odds and to the surprise of the medical establishment, my gym efforts have kept and maintained the degree of mobility I presently have and even stalled further deterioration.

But my 10-year-old wheelchair is no longer fit for purpose if I want to continue improving. I’m now in a position to get an active wheelchair that is more appropriate for the level of disability I have. A chair that provides custom support in several areas to improve my posture and the way I sit and wheel myself.

This new chair would enable me to perform better at my weekly gym session, providing unhindered support around the various equipment I use under the training eye of my brilliant coach. It will also make me more independent when out and about. This chair, which will be 34% funded by the NHS and around 40% by me, will be ideal to not only continue my physical improvement and defy the odds but also provide me with a better quality of life all around. Its ultra-lightweight, versatility and manoeuvrability will open up new horizons for me near and far. Combined with a potential purchase/rental of a power add-on, it will allow me to socialise more locally and engage in more independent travelling here and abroad.

Your generous donations will help me finance the remaining 26% of the chair.

My deepest gratitude to you all!