The Sarah Project

I'd like to introduce you to Sarah. But first, in the spirit of full disclosure, I am so excited to add to her story that Sarah and our son Ryan are engaged and she will become a part of our family soon.

When Sarah was 17 she was walking two blocks from her home when a tree split and fell on her, severing her spinal cord and leaving her paralyzed from the waist down. In the eight years since the accident she has shown just how remarkable a young woman she is. She has lived by herself in her own home, works full-time, and even drives a specially adapted car. Last year, she was a featured speaker at Red Bull's annual charity golf fundraiser for Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) research, "Wings for Life".

The Sarah Project has been started to provide Sarah and others in a similar life situation confined to a wheelchair the opportunity to get out and ride an electric-powered adult tricycle. There are some unique requirements for this trike that will require outside engineering for people desiring this vehicle. Most notable are:

1) Throttle-only option as the rider cannot provide pedal-power.

2) Very specific safety restraints to protect the rider.

3) Reverse gear operation to back out of tight spaces.

4) Quick interchange batteries to ensure power to return to starting point.

But the most difficult requirement is the ability to power the pedals independently of the tires to provide physical therapy, either stationary (at home, for example) or while moving along a bike path.

The funding goal is to cover the basic trike purchase, commercially available options such as a seat with armrests and back rest, and the engineering effort to add the PT requirement.

Any and all excess funds donated will be sent to "Wings For Life", Red Bull's SCI charity.

Thanks for your consideration.