Power Wheelchair for our brother Bill with MS
Donation protected
This fundraiser is for purchase of a power wheelchair to support our brother, Bill Sturdevant. Bill has lived in a skilled-care nursing home in Juneau, Alaska, for more than 11 years due to advanced Multiple Sclerosis (MS). His mental function is nearly normal, but physically, he is fully disabled. He has no use of his lower body, and only very limited use of one arm and hand. He requires care 24/7 care for all activities of daily living. Fortunately, he still can operate a specialized, powered wheelchair, in which he spends his waking hours, and when rested, he is still able to speak, with difficulty. He cannot operate a manual wheelchair, so the powered chair is his only means of independent mobility.
Bill’s current chair was purchased used some 10 years ago and in the past two years has failed repeatedly for days and weeks at a time. It has exceeded its useful life. The cost of a similar, new powered chair that uses a joy stick to rotate, tilt, raise and lower the seat or legs, and travel forward and back, is roughly $35,000. Bill has no personal funds or insurance, and Medicaid/Medicare will not fund powered chairs for individuals living in skilled nursing homes.
Through this fundraiser, Bill’s family hopes to replace the old chair that can no longer be maintained due to its age. We have located a lightly-used, demo chair from the only supplier in Alaska that services Juneau, for $18,950. We are reaching out in hopes that community support will provide funds that the family does not have to acquire a new or used powered wheelchair.
Bill was once an active, creative, eccentric individual with a huge repertoire of bad jokes that left him breathless with laughter in the telling! He was a kid with a big personality: he once painted the oil tank in the family driveway with the American flag as a surprise to Dad! He was a Boy Scout, an outdoor enthusiast, and a community-minded individual. As a photographer, he developed his own films shot from a collection of antique cameras. He also spoke fluent French, built kayaks, hiked and gardened, played guitar and cornet, loved to cook, hosted a weekly jazz and blues show on the local FM station, loved cats, and turned wood to make beautiful bowls. He holds an Environmental Science degree and was passionate about teaching Silva Mind Development for many years. The progress of his disease has been a long, slow death by 1000 cuts.
Bill was diagnosed with MS at age 23 and is now 59. He has been a fighter all the way through the decades of decline, struggling for many years to remain in independent housing with support from home health care. Increasing disability forced him to move to the nursing home over 11 years ago. Unlike his older sister, Jean, who also had MS and whose physical decline was rapid, Bill was able to walk with assistive devices and continue some activities with increasing difficulty for over 20 years. Instead, Bill’s eyesight was first destroyed by MS, costing him the ability to drive.
Bill resisted drug treatments; he was employed until his disability confined him to a wheelchair. During the early period, he spent a year giving care and support to Jean, who was already in a nursing home, where she died at age 48. He remains compassionate toward others in his nursing home who suffer with debilitating conditions, illnesses, or dementia.
Bill is now fully disabled. He is confined to the wheelchair all day, has a permanent catheter, cannot stand up or feed himself, and requires Nurse Assistants using a mechanical lift to transfer him to the toilet, bed, or bath. Yet Bill's cognitive function is still good, and his mind is still highly active. He manages to occupy himself with computer research and audio studies on alternative health interests. He designs small projects like the hydroponic garden in the bay window of his nursing home room, which family and friends help to implement.
Bill gets out occasionally via his powered chair (when it's working) with Care-a-Van transport. His family supplies many of his comforts and advocates for his needs, as well as spending many hours helping him with personal activities, but we do not have the funds to replace his chair.
We hope to help Bill maintain the small bit of independence he has through a fully functional powered wheelchair for as long as possible. Without a power chair, Bill would be largely confined to his room, unable to move, and with nothing to do.
Bill’s big personality still shows in the annual Halloween hair costumes he dreams up. And he's still got that repertoire of bad jokes!
Bill’s current chair was purchased used some 10 years ago and in the past two years has failed repeatedly for days and weeks at a time. It has exceeded its useful life. The cost of a similar, new powered chair that uses a joy stick to rotate, tilt, raise and lower the seat or legs, and travel forward and back, is roughly $35,000. Bill has no personal funds or insurance, and Medicaid/Medicare will not fund powered chairs for individuals living in skilled nursing homes.
Through this fundraiser, Bill’s family hopes to replace the old chair that can no longer be maintained due to its age. We have located a lightly-used, demo chair from the only supplier in Alaska that services Juneau, for $18,950. We are reaching out in hopes that community support will provide funds that the family does not have to acquire a new or used powered wheelchair.
Bill was once an active, creative, eccentric individual with a huge repertoire of bad jokes that left him breathless with laughter in the telling! He was a kid with a big personality: he once painted the oil tank in the family driveway with the American flag as a surprise to Dad! He was a Boy Scout, an outdoor enthusiast, and a community-minded individual. As a photographer, he developed his own films shot from a collection of antique cameras. He also spoke fluent French, built kayaks, hiked and gardened, played guitar and cornet, loved to cook, hosted a weekly jazz and blues show on the local FM station, loved cats, and turned wood to make beautiful bowls. He holds an Environmental Science degree and was passionate about teaching Silva Mind Development for many years. The progress of his disease has been a long, slow death by 1000 cuts.
Bill was diagnosed with MS at age 23 and is now 59. He has been a fighter all the way through the decades of decline, struggling for many years to remain in independent housing with support from home health care. Increasing disability forced him to move to the nursing home over 11 years ago. Unlike his older sister, Jean, who also had MS and whose physical decline was rapid, Bill was able to walk with assistive devices and continue some activities with increasing difficulty for over 20 years. Instead, Bill’s eyesight was first destroyed by MS, costing him the ability to drive.
Bill resisted drug treatments; he was employed until his disability confined him to a wheelchair. During the early period, he spent a year giving care and support to Jean, who was already in a nursing home, where she died at age 48. He remains compassionate toward others in his nursing home who suffer with debilitating conditions, illnesses, or dementia.
Bill is now fully disabled. He is confined to the wheelchair all day, has a permanent catheter, cannot stand up or feed himself, and requires Nurse Assistants using a mechanical lift to transfer him to the toilet, bed, or bath. Yet Bill's cognitive function is still good, and his mind is still highly active. He manages to occupy himself with computer research and audio studies on alternative health interests. He designs small projects like the hydroponic garden in the bay window of his nursing home room, which family and friends help to implement.
Bill gets out occasionally via his powered chair (when it's working) with Care-a-Van transport. His family supplies many of his comforts and advocates for his needs, as well as spending many hours helping him with personal activities, but we do not have the funds to replace his chair.
We hope to help Bill maintain the small bit of independence he has through a fully functional powered wheelchair for as long as possible. Without a power chair, Bill would be largely confined to his room, unable to move, and with nothing to do.
Bill’s big personality still shows in the annual Halloween hair costumes he dreams up. And he's still got that repertoire of bad jokes!
Fundraising team: Sturdevant siblings (2)
Molly Sturdevant
Organizer
Haines, AK
David Sturdevant
Team member
