Hello 

I am Naomi – some of you may know me as @_sunflower_stories on Instagram, and I am asking for your help. I need a new wheelchair – one that I can actually use and get around in – and I was wondering if you would consider helping me buy it?

 

I have thought a lot about this, and honestly I am still nervous about and don’t know if I am making the right choice. I feel awful asking for help, but so many of you have offered and I am already blown away by your kindness. I don’t feel right asking for money, but if you would like to help, please feel free. I can’t begin to explain how grateful I will be. You will literally be improving my quality of life enormously. It is only if you want to help though. Please don’t feel like you have to.

UPDATE: There is a minimum £5 donation on here which I did not realise. If you would like to donate less than £5 (which I am so grateful for! I am not expecting anyone to give as much as £5!) then please use my PayPal and I will log the amount on here. Link to PayPal: https://www.paypal.me/imoannaomi27 - please send as a friend so we don't get charged transaction fees :) 

A bit about me:

I am a 21-year-old musician from London. I have a bunch of chronic illnesses, and one of them means I find walking incredibly difficult. I also cannot physically stand up for more than a few minutes because I will faint (my blood likes to hang out in my feet whenever I stand up instead of my head. Bit inconvenient to be honest).

Anyway, I essentially need a wheelchair to get around. I will use it basically every time I leave the house, and it will make such a difference.

 

Take yesterday for example. I had to go into university, but my current wheelchair cannot get into uni because accessibility is awful, and my current chair cannot navigate the obstacles in the way my new chair will be able to. This meant I had to walk, but it made me feel awful. I get so lightheaded and nauseous and my pain increases. I was just trying to walk down the corridor but had to sit down in the middle because I couldn’t walk any further. This also meant I was too exhausted and felt too unwell to actually focus in my lecture. I had so spent most of yesterday (once I was home) and today in bed, resting and trying to recover just from that very short walk yesterday. All of this can be avoided with a wheelchair.

 

Having a proper wheelchair will mean I don’t have to miss out on my education. I won’t have to miss social events simply because I ‘cannot walk that far’ (even if its just to a pub 5 minutes away!). I won’t have to rest and have as many days stuck in bed recovering. I could go to the supermarket, something I haven’t been able to do for years! I might actually have some more energy and be able to enjoy things! You will be helping to give me a life. The wheelchair won’t fix all my problems, but it will help to manage them better. It will also give me more independence – something I sadly do not have much of currently.

 

I don’t think I can properly explain how incredible the new chair will be, and just how much it will improve my life. Even 20p will be so gratefully received – in fact, if the majority of my Instagram followers donated just 25p, it would be enough to buy my ideal chair.

 

I am hoping to get the Quickie Argon 2, which starts at just under £2000. There are also many adjustments you can make, including different wheels and things which make it easier to self-propel.

 

If you would like to donate, please do. There is absolutely no pressure though. I am so thankful that you are even taking the time to read this.

 

(Additionally, I know a lot of people struggle to get the aids they need, and I am hoping to set up a fund to help others get mobility aids and/or other equipment to help improve their quality of life. I know the chronic illness community is so wonderful and helpful, and I hope this can be a way that we can all help each other. This GFM page is for me, but in the near future I hope to help others too).

 

Thank you again in advance. Please do not feel any pressure to donate. I know there are people who need and deserve the money much more. If you would like to though, or if you would like to share this, then, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

 

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me (DM me on Instagram or you can email if preferred).

Update: Thank you all SO SO SO MUCH for your insane generosity. I have been blown away and am so blessed to have reached the goal. Any extra funds will go towards making my life more accessible - things like wheelchair repairs/upgrades, a stairlift for the house, a carer etc. Thank you again!