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A new power chair for Keira
by Mark Borland
Keira, a three-year old girl has recently been provided with her first powerchair, with the help of Priority. The SnapDragon powerchair, made with her specific requirements in mind will help her develop and be as independent as possible.
In September 2008, when the Occupational Therapist from Dragonmobility first met Keira at the request of Keira’s OT, she was shy, withdrawn and clinging. She had undergone a lot of medical interventions in her short life, and at the age of 2 had a natural tendency to cry and ask for cuddles when presented with anything new.
Keira has an undiagnosed neuromuscular condition which causes severe weakness, particularly in her lower body, and has caused dislocation of hips and knees. Her parents spent a lot of time carrying her around, and as she approached her third birthday and was beginning to grow fast, this was becoming increasingly difficult.
Despite her problems, her parents and OT knew that she would be capable of taking more control of her life, given the right tools. Priority together with a number of charities and the local wheelchair service, clubbed together to raise the £18,000 needed to provide the family with a SnapDragon powerchair with customised seating and five years technical support.
Because Keira’s need will change as she grows, Dragonmobility will provide whatever revisions to seating and service for the powerbase are necessary to maintain the personal mobility she becomes accustomed to and relies on.
Priority, with generous support from the Presidents Club was able to donate the final £6,000 necessary to get Keira the chair, and on 18th March 2009, Keira visited the Dragonmobility workshop in Cambridge to collect her very own pink SnapDragon.
Keira had begun to realise a little of what the SnapDragon could do for her, but was still nervous, and still used to asking one of her parents to carry her, instead of making her own way. Her parents were also beginning to realise what kind of challenge having a 3year old in a powerchair, with all the issue of safety and discipline would bring.
A visit to Keira’s home only four weeks later, showed a total transformation. She was out in the garden, dashing about on the grass. She was moving so naturally in her SnapDragon that it seemed like an extension of her. When Mark, her father, offered a cup of tea, and went into the house, she was quite happy to stay and entertain on her own. She played like any three year old, and when her father came back out, she played with him in and out of the spaces under her sister’s trampoline, and took us to meet their neighbour.
The neighbour said she was a different child since getting the chair; talking and playing and mixing like any other child, instead of being the shy, trapped little soul she once was.
Mark reported that it only took Keira a week to become used to her SnapDragon. She had great fun with her friends having an Easter-egg hunt on Easter Monday, whereas before she would have been sitting on the sidelines.
And when she starts school in the village with all her able-bodied friends she will be equipped to learn and grow and develop her abilities and potential without being limited by passivity and lack of confidence. The one thing Keira has now is plenty of confidence!
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