Help Marie get a wheelchair for college success

I am an independent, disabled student at college on a full scholarship. I have an AAS in Public Administration, graduating Magna Cum Laude and was accepted to Stanford where I am pursuing my Bachelors degree in International Relations.

I have Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and Rheumatoid Arthritis, both of which cause significant joint pain, chronic tendonitis, and swelling with overuse. I also have Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) and Inappropriate Sinus Tachycardia which cause my heart rate to jump as high as 220 beats per minute on standing and walking. This also causes me to pass out on a frequent basis and I am injuring myself regularly due to it. I recently fractured my left wrist and tore a tendon in it due to falling when fainting.

All of these health issues combined also cause severe fatigue. Think of it this way - the average person starts the day with 150 units of energy to spend. By the end of the day, they still have 20-30 units of energy left. In my case, I may start the day with 100 units (-50 for poor sleep due to pain), my heart is effectively running a marathon all day and burning my energy at twice to three times the rate and coping with chronic pain all day also increases the rate at which I am burning my energy. In the end, I run out of energy before I run out of day. The resulting fatigue makes it very difficult to concentrate and to study and I often fall asleep in the middle of studying. I find myself unable to remember what I just read many times.

I missed out on so much last year on campus. This is my second year here and I hardly know anyone because, like last year, I have been limited to going to class and staying in my dorm due to pain and fatigue. I have had to pass up taking certain classes because they require off-campus trips and extended walking.

My doctor has prescribed a power wheelchair for me but insurance does not want to pay for it. They rented me a stock hospital wheelchair that I cannot push myself in due to joint pain from the rheumatoid arthritis and my right shoulder which dislocates with little to no provocation due to my Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. My doctor has stated that he believes a power wheelchair will help tremendously with the fatigue issue as my heart rate does not get high while I am seated and giving my joints a rest will help to decrease pain and swelling. It will also increase my safety as I will be seated, and not falling to the ground and injuring myself, when I faint. Using a power wheelchair will preserve my energy and allow me to budget it better. In turn, this will allow me to be able to study better, participate more fully in activities on-campus, and open up additional classes and opportunities off-campus.

The power wheelchair I need is relatively inexpensive ($3000 + shipping) and has a very good record for being low maintenance, durable, and having a good range of distance. It is lightweight and foldable which are both important features as they will allow me to more easily transport it for use in off-campus activities.

Sometimes, getting what you need to be safe and successful isn't easy as a disabled and broke college student, but I am hoping to be able to preserve enough energy through the use of this mobility aid to not only be successful in my studies, but to also access an on-campus job so that I can pay it forward to someone else who can use a hand up.

Thank you for reading my story.