Help Super Seán Get His Wheels !

Hi everyone, I’m Caitlin and I’m raising funds for my son, Seán. Seán has Polyarticular Psoriatic Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and Hypermobility. In the last month he’s been experiencing a severe flare and his mobility has been greatly reduced. He has synovial thickening and effusion bilaterally in his knees, flexion in his right knee, and his right ankle is collapsing. Seán had outgrown his buggy, so I contacted our local physiotherapist and OT for help. They took measurements for a mobility device but unfortunately there was nothing in stock locally in Carlow or in Kilkenny that the HSE could provide Seán. Crumlin was contacted as well, and again there was nothing suitable for his size available.

I was told essentially to rent or purchase something myself for Seán. Due to the nature of JIA and Hypermobility, Seán needs something properly supportive, just a regular buggy is not appropriate for him. I started doing research and found these wheelchairs and adapted buggies cost hundreds if not thousands of euros.

I was told that if I waited for the HSE to possibly fund something, it could take up to 12 weeks to approve funding, nevermind manufacturing and delivery times. We don’t have 12 weeks, Seán is unable to walk for more than 5 minutes at a time now. If he is not able to rest his joints properly, irreparable damage can be done. He needs some kind of mobility device for pain management, energy conservation, and joint preservation. We've been left with no choice but to fund this ourselves, however like many families we don’t have a spare €1000 to put toward this. Even secondhand adapted buggies can cost upward of €500.

If anyone is able to donate, it is sincerely appreciated. Any funds raised that are not used toward a mobility device for Seán will be donated to iCAN, the Irish Children’s Arthritis Network.