Lifestyle & Mobility’s new Lowestoft store has a new ambassador for prescriptive active wheelchairs. We’d like you to meet Katie, who recently collected a Quickie Nitrum from the Lowestoft branch.
Katie opted for this chair after attending one of the free prescriptive wheelchair clinics which we hold at the Lowestoft store.
Katie’s Story
Katie kindly took the time to share details of her story with Lifestyle & Mobility. There’s a lot to say, so let’s dive in.
Katie lives with several conditions, including Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder which causes her to have multiple dislocations. Whilst this condition is painful, Katie is determined to make the most of life, and take full advantage of her good days. Her second condition is Dystonia. Dystonia causes Katie to experience uncontrollable body-wide spasms. As with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, Dystonia can cause dislocations. Additionally, Katie was born prematurely and had a small bleed on the brain, which resulted in mild learning difficulties.
Like many prescriptive active wheelchair users, Katie works with an occupational therapist (OT). She says that the OT has helped her with sourcing important adaptive equipment. All this equipment plays a big role in keeping her life as independent as possible.
An Active Lifestyle
Katie’s determination to excel is one of many reasons why Lifestyle & Mobility feel so privileged to have her as Lowestoft’s first ambassador.
From a young age, Katie became involved in Para sport. She began swimming at around the age of 10. In time, Katie went on to compete in junior Paralympic swimming events. She enjoyed significant success in this and went on to win many medals at international swim meets.
Because of health concerns, Katie had to take a few years out of swimming competition. This hasn’t stopped her from staying active at a high level. She is now running competitively and is ranked 1st in the UK for the 100 and 200 metres Para races. This is despite her conditions making it almost impossible to train consistently.
In early 2024, to correct some of the damage caused by EDS and Dystonia, Katie had hip surgery. Those two conditions actually fight one another, which is a further complication. The spasms which Katie experiences can sometimes make getting out of the house difficult. As you can probably tell from reading this blog article, Katie’s conditions are unpredictable.
Benefits of Wheelchair Ownership
As mentioned, Katie’s particular conditions can make sometimes make mobilisation very difficult. When this happens, she draws on a self-propelled active wheelchair to stay as independent as possible. Since her wheelchair is a crucial component for Katie to navigate her most challenging times, getting the specifications right is vital.
The free prescriptive wheelchair clinics offered at our Lowestoft branch are all about matching people to product as thoroughly as possible. Drawing on assessor experience, they help wheelchair users find the perfect chair.
Regarding her new chair, Katie says ‘This widens up my future pathway and will allow me access to my sport, employment and freedom’
Welcome and satisfying words from Lowestoft’s first ambassador. We look forward to a continued partnership with Katie, and would like to thank her for taking the time to share her story.
