Help Tay get a new wheelchair.

Hi. My name is Tay, otherwise known as Meekor.

I’m a disabled artist from Australia who specializes in illustrations of birds and animals.

I’ve made this kickstarter, hesitantly, to help fund an appropriate wheelchair to help me live a more “normal” life.

My current wheelchair is an off the shelf foldable wheelchair, which is not in the best condition due to being mistreated by airlines multiple times. As the chair is quite heavy, I struggle to propel myself in it. The flimsy seat doesn’t support my hips properly, and can result in pain after only a few hours of use.

Due to damage to my chair, the wheels now require manual inflating before every use, and they will often become too flat for me to propel myself by the end of the day. Additionally, my foot rests have been broken off and lost, leaving me to hold my feet up, which strains my muscles. Most recently, the handrims have been damaged by the airlines, causing the rims to cut up my hands as I wheel myself, even with the use of gloves. All of this makes navigating everyday activities, or going out in public, difficult.

I live with multiple physical conditions, which impact my day to day life.

I have recently been diagnosed with Hypermobile Ehlers - Danlos Syndrome; a degenerative multi-system genetic disorder affecting the connective-tissue of the body; causing pain, unstable joints, fragile skin, and a slew of other issues. I also have Dysautonomia, which is a dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system, and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.

POTs is a form of dysautonomia, which causes my heart rate to skyrocket whenever I stand up, causing me to become lightheaded, dizzy, and even pass out.

I also have Myalgic encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, which causes any exertion of my body and muscles to have a major effect on me, leaving me worn out and bed ridden for days on end. It can also cause me to suddenly crash and be unable to hold myself upright.

I have also recently discovered I have deformations in my hip and lower spine causing instability and pain. Within these recent discoveries I also have a chiari malformation, meaning the lower part of my brain is being pushed down towards my spine.

The combination of these conditions means that even daily activities- such as showering, getting dressed, driving, cooking food, and cleaning- require assistance, and are almost impossible to do even with assistance on the bad physical days.

Unfortunately in Australia, these conditions are not supported under our NDIS scheme, as they are considered health conditions and not disabilities. This is despite the fact they are very disabling and require mobility aids, and constant expensive medical appointments. Many people with EDs, Dysautonomia, ME / CFS, and many other invisible conditions have fallen through the cracks of our health system.

Many have shared their experiences with our media, appealed to our government, and pushed our medical bodies to include these conditions in the NDIS, but unfortunately there is no known plan to change this.

The wheelchair I have been looking into that will be best suited for me is the

Küschall Champion, it is a lightweight foldable wheelchair which has the strength and support of a rigid chair. It is small enough when folded that it can fit in the overhead carriage of a plane with wheels detached. I have hand selected all components to suit my needs and gotten a quote for these items.

A specialised seat to support my hips and spine, Wheel handles which have been designed to allow less strain on weak hands, Breaks designed for less strength to use, among the few features I have selected.

Being able to afford a wheelchair that suits my needs will be an absolute game changer to my lifestyle. It will allow me more independence and accommodation to live a slightly more “normal” life, which is something I can unfortunately not access right now due to a lack of NDIS funding. I live solely off my small art business, and a majority of the money I make goes towards continuous medical expenses and appointments. For these reasons, I am starting this GoFundMe, as this wheelchair is something I crucially need, but simply cannot afford.

Thank you for reading.