Help Jodie Get an Electric Wheelchair

My name is Jodie, and I struggle with several serious chronic illnesses. For the past 4+ years my mobility impairments and my levels of fatigue have increased dramatically. I can stand on my own for only very short periods of time. I am always suffering from severe chronic pain in many of my joints and tendons. My feet and lower back are especially painful and significantly limit my mobility. And my high fatigue levels leave me feeling tired and requiring rest after even small amounts of physical activity. I currently have a very limited quality of life.

In addition to being a chronic illness patient, I am a wife and mom to 2 fabulous kids, and I also have my own full-time private counseling practice for children, adults, and families. Even though I help others and encourage my clients to take care of themselves, I often have a hard time advocating for my own needs and asking for help. So, I decided to put the same skills that I help my clients with into practice for myself.

Because of my debilitating mobility impairments and fatigue, I rely on mobility aids. For many outings with friends or family I use a manual wheelchair. This wheelchair has been really helpful in managing my fatigue and other symptoms and allows me to be able to leave my house. However, my psoriatic arthritis has caused chronic tendinopathy in my shoulders as well as chronic pain in my elbows, wrists, and hands which keeps me from being able to navigate my manual wheelchair independently. I am therefore reliant on family and friends to push me, and I am unable to do many activities by myself and with my kids.

Recently one of my physicians prescribed me an electric wheelchair. An electric wheelchair would be a huge gift in my life. It would give me freedom. I could take my kids on outings by myself, I could get outside more and go for hikes by myself on accessible trails, I could navigate so many more spaces that are currently impossible in my manual wheelchair. In short my quality of life would increase dramatically. I could enjoy life again.

But... electric wheelchairs are expensive. And that’s where asking for help comes in. Even with a prescription and health insurance, the electric wheelchair that fits all my needs is thousands of dollars. With working in the mental health field and having to pay for my own health insurance and all of my many medical expenses, this amount is out of reach for me. So I am hoping: Would you help me purchase my electric wheelchair so that I can in turn continue to help others?