Get Bek About
Donation protected
I have set up this page along with my family with the aim to raise money for a new wheelchair and previous & ongoing medical costs.
About Me
My name is Bekki, I am 25 years old & have lived in East Devon all my life. Up until 2014 I lived my life. I had my independence, I had learnt to drive, I was working, I was seeing my friends & I could walk Molly my dog.
All of this changed in May 2014 when I became ill.
How My Life Has Been Impacted
Within 2 months I was signed off work with no idea if I’d be able to go back. I quickly had to give up driving due to my symptoms & by the end of November that year I realised the difficult truth that I needed a wheelchair to help me get around inside the house and to enable me to get out when I needed to. Things haven’t got better since then, they have actually got progressively worse.
I experience symptoms 24/7; widespread constant pain in my muscles and bones, chronic fatigue, blurred vision, heart palpitations, poor temperature regulation, fainting and dizziness, tremors, IBS and insomnia...the list does go on further. My initial diagnosis was ME/CFS, since then I have been diagnosed with Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) & Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder/Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos (HSD/hEDS).
Most of my time is spent housebound, my occasional trips out are limited & I rely on the care of my family for my daily needs, for example, preparing my food and my personal care. For the last few years my life has been on hold. It often feels like I am watching those around me live their's while mine has been on pause. In this time both my younger brother & then my sister have got married, friends have done the same & had children. I am extremely happy for them but I would like to be able to get some of my life back!
I am so grateful for my friends & family who support me daily & I can’t put into words how much I appreciate all that they do. We have always been close & still are, but with me being unwell it has changed the type of relationship I have with them a lot. Before it was as friends whereas now I also rely on them as carers. It is very hard to see the continuing impact that my illness has had on everyone, especially my Mum & Dad. With this funding it is my hope that it will help me as well as them, lightening the load of the money stress & also give us the opportunity to have days out like we used to. It will mean a lot to everyone!
The Aim
I would love to have a better quality of life. To gain some independence back. Most people my age would have very different lives & goals (I used to) but for me my goal is to be able to get out & about with my family & my dogs, to the places I love & have missed so much over the past few years.
I am not sure whether I will ever be well enough to drive again, so have searched for other ways to get around independently. The wheelchair I have at the moment isn’t suitable, I am unable to self propel, so rely on someone else to push me. This is usually my Mum; my main carer. As you can imagine this takes a lot out of her physically and emotionally so a motorised wheelchair is what I am aiming to get.
We have researched various chairs & have found one that is well suited to my needs. It is the Trikinetic GTE which is an everyday & off-road wheelchair. So places nearby, such as the beach or Woodbury Common would finally be accessible for me! I would also be able to go out independently or with friends. I recently test drove the GTE in the New Forest and was really impressed with its performance. Getting this wheelchair will open up many opportunities for me that I haven’t been able to do the last 3+ years.
The Costs
The cost of the Trikinetic GTE will be around £11000. This price includes any modifications & add-ons I require to make the wheelchair specific to my needs.
Keeping up with cost of vitamins & supplements which my body needs is another struggle. Currently I spend between £80-£100 a month. Also we have paid out a considerable amount on alternative therapies, blood tests, consultations, travel & accommodation. Which in the just the last 6 months have come to about £2,780, all being paid out of our own money.
While I do get some help from the government financially, this only covers my share of the rent, food and other things for basic living. While my parents help me with the costs as much as they can it’s hard & my Mum has had to stop working to look after me full time.
A Note From Family
“As a mother it’s always hard to see your children suffer in any way. In the space of six months I watched Bekki go from being a healthy, vibrant and independant young woman to being a very sick one. She now needs care for her daily needs & a wheelchair to get around in. For someone of her age this has been difficult to come to terms with.
Illness has stripped Bekki of so many things. Things you take for granted until you can’t do them anymore. Bekki & I have always been close & enjoyed sharing many interests together. I want Bekki to have the chance to get some mobility & independence back & be able to feel more like she is taking part in her life. To have the chance to start making her own memories again.”
Trish, Mum.
"I've known Bekki & her family for almost 10 years now. We grew close as friends through our creative ways and love for all things arty! Since then, I married her brother & we're now family!
Seeing Bek so ill has been quite a heartwrenching experience for all closest to her. Although her rapid health decline has obviously been incredibly hard to deal with, her inability to do normal, 25 year old things, is the thing that has had one of the hugest impacts on her & us. We loved to go to concerts, she loved to take Molly out to the beach on her own & she enjoyed her job. Being aware those things were being taken away one by one was rough on her and rough to watch."
Solo, sister-in-law.
Myself & my family would appreciate any support, whether that be a donation if you are able to or just sharing this would really help!
Thank you,
Bekki & family, Molly, Isla & Ruby included.
About Me
My name is Bekki, I am 25 years old & have lived in East Devon all my life. Up until 2014 I lived my life. I had my independence, I had learnt to drive, I was working, I was seeing my friends & I could walk Molly my dog.
All of this changed in May 2014 when I became ill.
How My Life Has Been Impacted
Within 2 months I was signed off work with no idea if I’d be able to go back. I quickly had to give up driving due to my symptoms & by the end of November that year I realised the difficult truth that I needed a wheelchair to help me get around inside the house and to enable me to get out when I needed to. Things haven’t got better since then, they have actually got progressively worse.
I experience symptoms 24/7; widespread constant pain in my muscles and bones, chronic fatigue, blurred vision, heart palpitations, poor temperature regulation, fainting and dizziness, tremors, IBS and insomnia...the list does go on further. My initial diagnosis was ME/CFS, since then I have been diagnosed with Postural Tachycardia Syndrome (PoTS) & Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder/Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos (HSD/hEDS).
Most of my time is spent housebound, my occasional trips out are limited & I rely on the care of my family for my daily needs, for example, preparing my food and my personal care. For the last few years my life has been on hold. It often feels like I am watching those around me live their's while mine has been on pause. In this time both my younger brother & then my sister have got married, friends have done the same & had children. I am extremely happy for them but I would like to be able to get some of my life back!
I am so grateful for my friends & family who support me daily & I can’t put into words how much I appreciate all that they do. We have always been close & still are, but with me being unwell it has changed the type of relationship I have with them a lot. Before it was as friends whereas now I also rely on them as carers. It is very hard to see the continuing impact that my illness has had on everyone, especially my Mum & Dad. With this funding it is my hope that it will help me as well as them, lightening the load of the money stress & also give us the opportunity to have days out like we used to. It will mean a lot to everyone!
The Aim
I would love to have a better quality of life. To gain some independence back. Most people my age would have very different lives & goals (I used to) but for me my goal is to be able to get out & about with my family & my dogs, to the places I love & have missed so much over the past few years.
I am not sure whether I will ever be well enough to drive again, so have searched for other ways to get around independently. The wheelchair I have at the moment isn’t suitable, I am unable to self propel, so rely on someone else to push me. This is usually my Mum; my main carer. As you can imagine this takes a lot out of her physically and emotionally so a motorised wheelchair is what I am aiming to get.
We have researched various chairs & have found one that is well suited to my needs. It is the Trikinetic GTE which is an everyday & off-road wheelchair. So places nearby, such as the beach or Woodbury Common would finally be accessible for me! I would also be able to go out independently or with friends. I recently test drove the GTE in the New Forest and was really impressed with its performance. Getting this wheelchair will open up many opportunities for me that I haven’t been able to do the last 3+ years.
The Costs
The cost of the Trikinetic GTE will be around £11000. This price includes any modifications & add-ons I require to make the wheelchair specific to my needs.
Keeping up with cost of vitamins & supplements which my body needs is another struggle. Currently I spend between £80-£100 a month. Also we have paid out a considerable amount on alternative therapies, blood tests, consultations, travel & accommodation. Which in the just the last 6 months have come to about £2,780, all being paid out of our own money.
While I do get some help from the government financially, this only covers my share of the rent, food and other things for basic living. While my parents help me with the costs as much as they can it’s hard & my Mum has had to stop working to look after me full time.
A Note From Family
“As a mother it’s always hard to see your children suffer in any way. In the space of six months I watched Bekki go from being a healthy, vibrant and independant young woman to being a very sick one. She now needs care for her daily needs & a wheelchair to get around in. For someone of her age this has been difficult to come to terms with.
Illness has stripped Bekki of so many things. Things you take for granted until you can’t do them anymore. Bekki & I have always been close & enjoyed sharing many interests together. I want Bekki to have the chance to get some mobility & independence back & be able to feel more like she is taking part in her life. To have the chance to start making her own memories again.”
Trish, Mum.
"I've known Bekki & her family for almost 10 years now. We grew close as friends through our creative ways and love for all things arty! Since then, I married her brother & we're now family!
Seeing Bek so ill has been quite a heartwrenching experience for all closest to her. Although her rapid health decline has obviously been incredibly hard to deal with, her inability to do normal, 25 year old things, is the thing that has had one of the hugest impacts on her & us. We loved to go to concerts, she loved to take Molly out to the beach on her own & she enjoyed her job. Being aware those things were being taken away one by one was rough on her and rough to watch."
Solo, sister-in-law.
Myself & my family would appreciate any support, whether that be a donation if you are able to or just sharing this would really help!
Thank you,
Bekki & family, Molly, Isla & Ruby included.
Organizer
Bekki Marsh
Organizer
