Help my mum get the wheelchair she needs

Hi everyone,

My mum has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome which means she has very weak ligaments to keep her joints in place, so she has daily joint dislocations and pain everyday.

On top of this she damaged her back ( because of the EDS) some years ago when she was playing and dancing about with us kids, meaning she is now using crutches and a heavy old wheelchair.

At only 47 years old she can no longer manage to use the heavy wheelchair she has and is stuck indoors unless someone is with her and has been told by her orthopaedic consultant she cannot use her crutches anymore as they are causing more damage to her shoulders.

Because she has very limited mobility around the house, wheelchair services won’t help get her the chair she needs.

There is a very lightweight wheelchair that she could use without the risk of dislocating her shoulders and that would help her maintain the muscle strength in her shoulders that hold those joints together and would keep her arms strong so she could continue painting ( see the middle picture of a self portrait she painted after shaving her head for charity!)

She has seen RGK wheelchairs to find the chair she needs and she is able to self propel this chair without help, it doesn’t hurt her and she can lift it with her good arm which means she’d be able to go out independently.

But it cost £6,000.

Mum is a fun, strong loving person who is always helping other people and us kids.

If she had this it would give her back a little of her independence and allow her 

to at least spend some time out in the fresh air without feeling like she is a burden.

She would never ask for help in any way and is determined to try and fundraise this herself by selling the art she makes, but we’d like to help mum out, with your help.