Assistive technology specialist’s client makes fundraising sunflowers for Ukraine

Five-year-old Nicole Kuliskova, a Recare wheelchair user from Surrey, is handmaking and selling pin badge sunflowers and beads in the colours of Ukraine with her brother Jacob, aged eight, to raise donations for people affected by the war.

Nicole is a bright and cheerful girl who lives with her mum and brother in Surrey. Despite living with an undiagnosed condition, with symptoms similar to muscular dystrophy, Nicole is a joy to be around, full of life and doing great at school. Due to Nicole’s condition, mobility is challenging for her, so she uses a wheelchair and requires supportive seating to ease the pressures of scoliosis.

Recare, a rehabilitation equipment specialist, supports Nicole with all her ongoing wheelchair needs. Her wheelchair was funded by the charity AFK.

Now, Nicole, along with Jacob and her mum, Adriana Kuliskova, are helping raise donations for people affected by the war in Ukraine.

Nicole and Jacob’s sunflowers are being sold in several shops and a pub in their local area.

The idea begun when Nicole’s friend asked her mum if they could help children in Ukraine, so she started making the sunflowers, with Adriana organising distribution and selling. Now Adriana and several local mums, including friends in the Czech Republic, are making Ukrainian pin badges to keep up with demand.

Donations are going to the British Red Cross following initial support from Sainsbury’s, which is doubling funds through its Comic Relief initiative. Together, the family has raised nearly £1,500 so far and will continue for as long as possible.

The pin badges are available at: Handyman Hardware Shop, Cranleigh; The Natural Life Shop, Cranleigh; Pets Pantry in Rowly; Shamley Green Stores; and The Fox Inn, Rudgwick.

In addition to making Ukrainian pin badge with her children, Adriana has continued fundraising for her daughter and Muscular Dystrophy UK. She has recently completed a skydive to aid the charity and raised £1,300.

Unable to work full time as Nicole’s main carer, Adriana has trained herself to become an artist and is regularly commissioned to produce pieces via her Instagram business ‘ArtbyAdi222’.

Recare delivers clinically led provision of quality assistive equipment to enhance independence, comfort and safety for individuals with restricted mobility.

Last year, Recare and Stephen Ruffle, who has over 20 years’ experience in the medical device industry, set up a new advanced rehabilitation technology firm called Rebotics Technology.

The UK company focuses on advanced products that assist and complement the rehabilitation process, enabling people to regain independence.