How much do you think the average five-year-old girl weighs?
According to kidshealth.org, the answer is about 45 pounds.
Now, how much do you think a wheelchair for that same five-year-old girl weighs?
Try anywhere from 14-41 pounds.
If you’re the parent of a five-year-old girl who requires the use of a wheelchair, then transporting your kid could require some serious physical exertion.
Doreen Deede’s daughter, Emma, has cerebral palsy and dystonia.
Doreen has no good way of helping her get in and out of the car, since her current vehicle isn’t equipped to manage a wheelchair.
“I want to get out and about more,” she told The Cairns Post. “It’s really hard to find the motivation if you’re tired and exhausted and you know you have to lift her in and out of the car, as well as the chair.”
Doreen has been looking into other options, but wheelchair van conversions aren’t cheap. In the U.S., costs can range from $10,000 – $20,000.
Add that to the other costs of living with serious, chronic conditions, and many of us would be
S-O-L.
With the help of Internet outreach, Doreen is hoping she and Emma don’t fall into that category. A GoFundMe page has been set up to help the Deedes cover the cost of Emma’s necessary transportation. Feeling helpful? Commit a good deed for these good Deedes and let’s get this girl some equipment!
