Stand Up for Jimmy
“It doesn’t take a science degree to know that standing is deeply significant to human beings. We stand when our national anthem plays, and when a bride walks down the aisle. We take a stand for what we believe in, and stand with friends in difficult times."*
*By Laurie Watanabe, Mobility Risk Management
About 8 years ago, Jimmy Oliver, my wonderful 35-year-old (at the time) nephew and father of 2 young boys, dove off a boat on a bright, sunny day into a lake in California. That was the day that changed his life forever, as he had hit the shallow bottom and broke his neck between the 3rd and 4th vertebrae. I thank God his friends and family noticed he wasn’t coming up for air and were able to act quickly to save his life. However, he became paralyzed from the neck, down – a paraplegic.
Those of you who know Jimmy know that he has the biggest heart, always willing to go the extra mile to help a friend, a hard worker, and always positive about life. I believe it was these attributes, his loving and supportive family and friends, and his faith in God that got him to where he is today. He has worked so hard to recover the use of his limbs through physical therapy and is thankful for even small improvements over the years, even though he still does not have normal use of his hands and legs.
Only a year after his accident he was able to re-open his Certified Auto and Marine Shop, in Denair, California. Jimmy is not one to sit around and feel sorry for himself! He is there every day, or nearly every day, running the business himself with several employees to do the heavy work.
Jimmy still lives at home with his Mom and step-dad and receives excellent care. He hopes to be able to become independent enough to move out into a home of his own soon. However, after almost 8 years sitting in a wheelchair most of the days and being so dependent on others at home and at work, it has come to his attention that a Standing Wheelchair is the answer to many of his problems, such as “bed sores” & being able to see over & into vehicles & things at work and at home, enabling him to become more independent. Also, as stated at the beginning of this page & below, being able to stand has been shown to benefit the body in many ways and should increase his life expectancy and health in general.
Last year he was able to “test drive” a Standing Wheelchair (see photo) and set out to see how he could purchase one for himself. These chairs are EXTREMELY expensive (think “New Car”), and Medicare does NOT pay very much toward the purchase of one.
With your help he will be able to purchase this Stand-Up chair that he so desperately needs. Please give as much as you can afford to give. You can also help by sharing this GoFundMe page with all your Friends, Relatives, and anyone else you can think of who may be inclined to want to help someone like Jimmy to live a better life. When you donate, please be sure to leave him a word of encouragement.
Thank you in advance for your generosity. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.
“When illness or injury makes it impossible for us to stand spontaneously, the yearning remains. Fortunately, assistive technology advances make it possible for many wheelchair users today to stand.
“Immobility is extremely hard on the body,” says Amy Morgan, PT, ATP, national clinical education manager at Permobil. “And it doesn’t take long to see the negative impact made by a lack of standing. We see this in new research looking at healthy adults who sit most of the day: Despite a regular workout routine, they have negative health issues associated with prolonged sitting.”
“Morgan points out that Medicare’s Local Coverage Determination policy “has not changed and still regards standing wheelchairs as non-covered because they are ‘not primarily medical in nature.’”
That’s despite the fact that many potential benefits of standing, such as improvements in digestion and bowel/bladder function, “cross every diagnosis,” says Lauren Rosen, PT, MPT, MSMS, ATP/SMS, program coordinator at the Motion Analysis Center, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital of Tampa.
Rosen also points out that for wheelchair users, aging means more cumulative time spent in their chairs.
“There’s been research done about pressure sores and that people who stand have less pressure sores, which affects any full-time wheelchair user,” Rosen says. “Everybody’s susceptible to that, certainly more and more as you age. The more that you’re in a chair, the higher your risks.” *1
*1 Article By Laurie Watanabe, Mobility Risk Management
