Yorkshire Care Equipment gives young girl mobility equipment to offer her more independence
Amelia Beaton has been given the wheelchair she needed from Yorkshire Care Equipment after finding the NHS’ standard wheelchair provision too heavy to give her independence.
Nine-year-old Amelia has congenital neuromuscular disease which limits her mobility. She had been using the same wheelchair that she had been prescribed almost four years ago based on what she needed, not what she wanted.
The wheelchair was a standard generic model that no longer offered her the right level of support and was too heavy for her to push herself.
Amelia wanted independence and individuality, but the NHS Wheelchair Service provider could only offer a larger version of her existing chair.
In light of this, her family decided to visit mobility retailer Yorkshire Care Equipment to see if it could provide a solution.
Showroom Advisor at Yorkshire Care Gary Hornsby-Shawe said: “When I first met Amelia and her family, it was pretty obvious that her wheelchair just wasn’t right for her anymore.
“We sat together and did a sort of wish list of things she could have in her new wheelchair, and then we set to work arranging it all.
“I have to admit, Amelia has been one of my favourite customers to work with – she had such a big smile with her new chair!”
Amelia wanted a wheelchair that was a bit more fun but could also provide her with the right level of mobility and support whenever she needed it. Once she had been measured up, Amelia decided on a flamingo glitter pink finish, with flashing light-up front wheels.
Yorkshire Care also included a comfy seat cushion and a SmartDrive powered add-on to give Amelia some extra power when pushing her new Zippy Youngster 3 wheelchair.
Amelia’s Mum, Lisa Beaton, commented: “Amelia loves her new wheelchair because it’s so lightweight, she can push it herself. It’s a joy to see her in it!
“Yorkshire Care Equipment were incredibly helpful and really did pull out all the stops to make sure my daughter’s wheelchair was exactly as she wanted it to be.”
The new wheelchair was funded by donations from The Lions Club of Knaresborough, the Rotary Club of Knaresborough, the NewLife Charity, and a private donor.