Rolling with Sarah

A momentous occasion yesterday! I received and was fitted for my brand new wheelchair! I have named him Felix, after the potion Felix Felicis in Harry Potter. This potion is said to bring good luck. The drinker can do no wrong as long as its effects last. I am hoping this chair will bring me luck in the many adventures I plan to have with it. He is my new partner in crime ;).

This custom chair fits me to a tee. It is only 20 inches wide, so I dare you to show me a doorway I won’t fit through. It is larger at the back (as I have more of an upper body) and it tapers down to fit my skinny legs. Felix is carbon fibre, so he is also very light. Including the wheels it weighs a mere 31 lbs!  The best part, it is neon green! As opposed to the little bit of green I had on my old chair, even my rims are neon! It is a bit taller than I am used to, but I will adjust I’m sure. That feature comes in handy for transfers though! Much easier to go down than to go up.

I want to give a special shout out to the people who made this happen. The first is the team at Mobility Care Co. in Perth – especially Peggy and Malcom. Without Malcom’s “macguyvering” there is no way this chair would exist. Every problem we came across he had an idea for solving. I would also like to thank my amazing occupational therapist Rebekka Rieder from Rebekka Rieder Occupational Therapy Services. She was the one who realized the chair I had wasn’t right for me and started the process for me to get a new one. She measured me and worked with me to create a chair I was safe in and that met my comfort level. She was there every step of the way to make sure it fit correctly.

I can’t wait to introduce Felix to the world. With him, I will continue to gain the independence I am working so hard to achieve. I am so happy with the final product and am excited to see what I can do. First task: master the wheely.