Trying out the Quickie Salsa Midwheel Drive powerchair

Me trying out the Sunrise Medical Quickie Salsa Midwheel Drive powerchair in December 2010. We're currently fundraising to buy it and need to raise £8000 in order to do so.

I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, severe gut dysmotility and anaemia amongst other things and am tube fed via a PEG.

We are raising money to buy an electric wheelchair for me that will give me back some much needed independence and will allow me to go out more as I will be able to recline and raise my legs when my body can no longer cope with being upright, which is after about an hour and a half to two hours (which understandably limits me enormously in what I can do). If we are lucky enough to raise any extra money it would pay for the household adaptations to accommodate the wheelchair and/or the down payment for a wheelchair accessible motability vehicle.

http://lucyswheelchairappeal.webs.com/

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• sunrise
• medical
• quickie
• salsa
• midwheel
• drive
• power
• electric
• wheelchair
• fundraising
• disability
• ehlers
• danlos
• postural
• orthostatic
• tachycardia
• syndrome

[Katilea69]

have you got the tilt/seat riser on it? It looks a bit odd from pics with concertina style lift under the seat! I'm also getting the tilt-in-space as I can't sit upright for long either.

[ufarted]

@Katilea69 Yeah, mine isn't concertina style it is just the metal supports so looks much neater - i was slightly apprehensive when I saw the pics online so was very relieved when it arrived minus the concertina style lift!

[Katilea69]

HI

What's it like to drive? The NHS have offered to buy one of these for me but need to get it around a small park (gravel path/grass)

[ufarted]

@Katilea69 Its so simple to drive, I love it! You only have to tough the joystick and it moves, its very sensitive. I've really been putting it through its paces going through woods, unmade roads, over grass etc and it seems to have handled it all really well. The seating is so comfortable too, and it encourages a really good posture unlike my manual. I'd definitely recommend trying one first if you can though, as what suits me might not necessarily suit you. I wish you all the best xxx

[Katilea69]

Hi Telford.

I don't give my location out on public message systems but different counties seem to have different rules. Mine wouldn't budge on going over 4mph, even if I chose the voucher option they refused to give a 6mph version, so may as well let them supply it and get free maintenance for the lifetime of the chair. Mine is gonna be mainly indoor areas chair anyway as I have a mobility scooter I use to walk my dog and run down to supermarket and back.

[Telford90]

@Katilea69 I am surprised the NHS have offered to buy you one. They would only give me some vouchers towards it (25% of its cost). What county do you live in ?