Roaring to the rescue...Lions Club fund special chair for Charlotte

Charlotte, 16, has quadriplegic cerebral palsy. Until recently she was a full time wheelchair user. She cannot stand or sit and is transferred into her bed and bath by a hoist.

Charlotte’s dedicated mum Julie says she contacted Bexhill Lions Club to appeal for help with special needs equipment for her daughter. “The Lions Santa sleigh visited our street last December and I asked if Santa and his Elf could say hello to Charlotte, who was in her bed,” she said. “She was so delighted to see them and for weeks after she was still talking about it. Lion Liz, the elf, said we could apply to the Lions if we needed any special equipment.”

Because Charlotte had to be in bed, she could not watch TV or spend time with family and friends in the living room. The solution was a special chair designed for users who require a combination of comfort, pressure management and posture control. The Porta Chair was selected as it gave Charlotte support for muscle tone, ability to combat fatigue and adjustable height for transfer which was critical to her needs. The chair offers a wide range of positions for different activities through the day. It can be operated by a controller and comes with wheels.

Following an extensive assessment, a bespoke configuration was proposed. Bexhill Lions, who had been involved throughout the process, agreed to fund the chair.

Julie says her daughter is delighted with her new found freedom. “The chair will help Charlotte integrate in the family easily. Usually by the time she comes home from school, she goes to bed to seek comfort. Spending all day in a wheelchair is not always comfortable at the best of times. The chair will mean that she can sit and watch tv and socialise with us as a family for the first time, instead of being isolated in her bed. We are extremely thankful to the Bexhill Lions Club”.

For more information visit: www.bexhill-lions.org or call Lion Rick on 0845 833 9591.