A woman was left stranded and crying after her wheelchair broke down in the middle of the road.
Sarah Alexander, from Skelmersdale, said she nearly fell out of the wheelchair a few weeks ago as she crossed the road because the suspension was "so badly broken". The 35-year-old was left stuck in the middle of the road and kind hearted drivers who were passing by came to her aid, reports LancsLive.
The disability and lifestyle content creator, writer and activist is currently forced to use the wheelchair despite it being broken. The leg rest of Sarah's wheelchair was also smashed and she had to carry it to the kerb.
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Sarah said: “I almost fell out of my current chair in the middle of the road a few weeks ago and because the suspension is so badly broken, the back two wheels lift off the ground. Vehicles had to stop and the drivers of those vehicles got out and had to help me. My leg rest also smashed off and I had to carry that to the kerb.
“My suspension failed me when crossing a road, and my leg rest slammed into the floor, causing that to fall off and break; the back wheels of my Powerchair raised from the ground, and I was stranded in the middle of the road. Cars had to stop and help me; I was crying; it was a mess. This is one of many issues I have had with my current powerchair.”
Sarah has multiple health conditions, including hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, fibromyalgia, mast cell activation syndrome, endometriosis, hemiplegic migraine, and ADHD, suffers pain and fatigue daily. Her current powerchair has been judged unsafe by experts and cannot be fixed.
The 35-year-old said she has no other alternative but to use the broken wheelchair, however she is not able to socialise or do what she likes, which she said is affecting her mental health.
Sarah added: “I live with pain and fatigue every day and require a powerchair to help me live a more independent life. My powerchair means everything to me; I'm not me without it; I can't go out and experience life, see my friends, socialise, or do the things I love without my powerchair. It's my freedom.
“My current powerchair has been deemed unsafe by a wheelchair engineer and is beyond repair. It is unfit for purpose, yet I have no choice but to use it and put myself in danger. I have no other choice because I cannot get around without my powerchair, and yet I am putting myself at significant risk each time I use it."
Now Sarah is raising money for a new, specialist powerchair to help her. She added: “I'm raising funds for a Quantum Edge 3.0 Powerchair with tilt, recline, individual powered elevating leg rests, and iLevel. iLevel would be crucial for me because it means I can be more independent and reach high shelves; I also don't have to strain my neck to talk to people, which means less pain and more freedom.
“The individual powered elevating leg rests will be vital as they will enable me to put my legs into a position that relieves some of the pain that I experience daily. Powered leg rests would allow me to reposition my legs even when fatigued. Powered tilt and recline would also enable me to alleviate some pain and fatigue whilst using my powerchair.
"I can't get a powerchair through Motability as I lease a WAV (wheelchair accessible vehicle) with them, and you can't have both. My local wheelchair services are also not helping, so fundraising is my only option."
Motability, a UK charity which enables disabled people, their families and their carers to lease a new car, scooter or powered wheelchair, using their disability benefit, was contacted by Lancs Live. To find out more about Sarah’s fundraising campaign, which has so far raised £2,030, click here.
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