Main fundraiser photo

Back Into the Wild

Donation protected

Today in making this Go Fund Me, I feel as though I've taken the first step back into life.  On June 20th of 1998, my life changed instantaneously and dramatically .  I went from enjoying life to it's fullest, with the help of my two passions in life.  Nature and outdoor activities.  Both being drastically restricted due to a diving accident (15' bridge, 3' of water) that lead to becoming a quadriplegic.  The dive severed my spinal cord completely, breaking my 5th and 6th vertebrae , leaving me labeled as a C5-6 complete quadriplegic.  I still have hope that after 21 years, a miracle may happen through divine intervention, or a step-up in technology...  but hope won't bring me any closer to my dreams of hiking through hills or fishing in the back woods with the electric wheelchair I use today.

Recently, a close friend emailed me a link that opened my eyes and gave me a "whoaaaa!" moment.  http://actiontrackchair.com/   When I opened it and realized that my hopes and dreams of seeing nature from the inside out again were possible, I decided it was time to stop feeling sorry for myself, and to take a "step" in a direction in life that I could actually see coming true.  Not only does this wheelchair give a person in my position the ability to go into nature without the fear of getting stuck in every hole or branch in the way.  The model I desire has a standing feature as well, which has significant health benefits.  https://www.especialneeds.com/blog/the-health-benefits-of-standing-and-stander-equipment/    Coincidentally, I'm working with a therapist with a standing frame on a weekly basis, and I've just recently achieved the goal of standing at  100% without "turning gray" as my therapist calls it .  It's a way of describing the color of my face due to lack of oxygen from my body being so used to sitting for the past 21 years.

Now the base price of the chair is around $17,500.  However, there are some essential modifications, and then even some recreational modifications that would make happy even the occasional outdoors-man.  So i was able to customize the chair of my dreams and it totaled approximately $25,000.  Hence the amount I'm asking for assistance. 

The salesman I spoke with said that once I build the customized chair on the website and come up with a total, I'll have one year to come up with the funds, and the price remains at that.  That task is complete so now is where Go Fund Me comes into play.

Any and all donations towards this Track Chair, big or small, would be so greatly appreciated.  Getting the chair would give me access to places I never thought were possible for me in my situation.   Just the thought of independently traveling through the woods, through mud, to places like lakes and streams to fish, brings me back to 19 again.  Back to the time I had lived, and loved...  Nature without so many barriers like there are today.
Donate

Donations 

  • Anonymous
    • $145
    • 5 yrs
Donate

Organizer

Dustin L Raymond
Organizer
Westbrook, CT

Your easy, powerful, and trusted home for help

  • Easy

    Donate quickly and easily

  • Powerful

    Send help right to the people and causes you care about

  • Trusted

    Your donation is protected by the GoFundMe Giving Guarantee