Sim's new Basketball Wheelchair
Hi Everyone,
My name is Simeon Wakely, I am 24 years old and have a condition called Spina Bifida coupled with Scoliosis. At the beginning of 2020, I was admitted to the hospital with a grade 4 pressure sore. After being discharged from the hospital a week later I was then told to be on 24/7 bed rest until the pressure sore was healed completely. Those who know me well will tell you this is I don't do well when I am not staying active or playing sport! Over the course of 8 months this, unfortunately, leads to muscle atrophy which I am now determined to rectify. I have recently moved into the city center of Bath and I have found a wheelchair basketball team that has just started training again after lockdown. After attending the first session it became clear that if I wanted to carry on training with them I will need my own basketball chair.
This is because the chairs that they have do not support my scoliosis and over time could cause me to get another pressure sore that could lead to another year of bed rest. This isn't just about my physical health but more about my mental health. Due to living on my own with a lack of support for social services these training sessions would be the only chance for me to socialise and meet with others with disabilities. However, Due to not having the correct basketball chair, I am unable to attend until I have my own. To get a bespoke wheelchair would cost around £3500. I have therefore decided to wheel from my home in Bath to Bitton which is 7.5miles. At this moment in time, I am trying to find work and so my only income is PIP and Universal credit which after paying bills doesn't leave me with much at the end of the month.
Please donate what you can. If there is anyone willing to do a fundraiser or wanting to help in any way would be highly appreciated. If this is something you’d like to help with, please message me on here and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Thank you for reading, and I really appreciate your support.
Simeon