My name is Tobi, and this fund has been updated to help me get a power attachment for my manual wheelchair. I struggle with severe chronic pain, chronic fatigue, and hypermobility that make my life extremely hard to fulfill. I am diagnosed with ME/CFS, hEDS, JIA, POTS, and fibromyalgia. While I've been a crutch user for going on five years, my ability to walk is deteriorating heavily. I have become a severe fall risk and struggle to walk safely unaided even within my own room.

I'm going to college to study prosthetics and orthotics and need a power attachment to get me around campus safely, as there is a lot of space between buildings that is hard for me to travel between independently and causes me immense fatigue and dislocations due to hills on campus.

My new wheelchair (which this fund was originally for) is everything I wished for and more, letting me actually be safe and comfortable. It's also a manual (like my old chair), and while it actually fits me it's still hard to navigate campus by myself. A power attachment will give me my independence back. I'll be able to save my energy for important tasks like homework and studying or even just eating instead of spending it all on rolling up a hill when there’s nobody to help.

Many friends have recommended Smart Drives, but they’re definitely not for me. They terrify me since I need to take my hands off of my wheels in order to adjust speed or turn it off. I tried it earlier this year and found that I don’t have the grip strength to turn the dial without leaning down to put weight on it, which is dangerous for me because of my balance issues. I also tried the watch, but I had the same issue of needing to take my hand off of one wheel in order to work it. Power wheels are always an awesome option, but they add a lot of weight to my chair that I don’t want to deal with and are pretty heavy. There’s a few options for power wheels that have joystick controls, but the wheels are still heavy and they aren’t always reliable or strong enough for my needs. I already have trouble lifting my chair into my car without help, and it just makes more sense to have an attachment that I can easily remove and feel safe with.

I’ve decided that the ELESMART A5 or a similar model works best for me after trying it out, and my favorite part is that it lifts the front casters off of the ground, allowing me to get over rough spots in the concrete or even go off road without too much trouble. There’s many cracks and lips in the sidewalks on campus, and I constantly have to wheelie over them to get around, and it’s extremely hard to do every 20 feet. The ELEMSMART would allow me to keep going at the pace I want to be at and get over all those nasty cracks at the same time. It’s strong enough to get me over the many hills on campus without a problem, and the speed is adjustable so I can either speed ahead or stay at a brisk walking pace with friends on our way to class.

The ELESMART A5 is about $1,500 (not including shipping), which is slightly less expensive than my chair itself. There isn’t a set time period that I necessarily need this attachment by, but by this winter is my goal! My hands get very stiff and painful in the cold, and make it harder to push my chair safely without hurting myself. I lose a lot of grip strength and end up relying on others for help a lot of the time.

Any help is greatly appreciated!!!