Sarah and Her Power Chair: “I feel as light as the wind”

Sarah and Her Power Chair: “I feel as light as the wind”

The ability to move independently is something that most of us take for granted. Whether this means going to the kitchen to grab a glass of water or joining a group, mobility is essential to our independence. Some PGCS students, like Sarah, a smart 12 year old in Classroom 2, does not have independent or functional mobility. Sarah has a disability that prevents her from walking on her own and uses a wheel chair. Most often she must be pushed by parents, teachers, friends, or siblings. Up until recently, Sarah has known no other way.

In addition to Sarah’s motor challenges, Sarah has a visual disability. Although the visual and motor challenges raised questions about Sarah’s ability to manage the chair, in the safety of the school and under the guidance of her therapist, the thinking was “Why not?” and this has lead to fantastic results. After working very hard with her therapists and teachers, Sarah is gaining the skills necessary to operate the chair on her own, giving her the independence so desired by every 12 year old. In her own words, Sarah tells us about this new-found freedom, as well as giving some words of advice to other children:

“Yesterday, Mandy [Sarah’s physical therapist] said let’s go get your power chair and try it out. I thought. ‘Wow this is awesome!” My life was soon going to change. I was happy to finally feel independent. This meant the whole world to me. I would not have to wheel myself around; sometimes just it gets too hard to do. Mandy brought me down to the gym and since noon I have been driving up and down the hall with this fabulous chair. I felt as light as the wind as well as feeling free. Now I can drive around to wherever I want go. When I get my power chair at home, I can impress my brother, father, mother and my Uncle Chris. Hurray!”

For kids that might not feel comfortable, here is a little message for you: Tell your parents you want to try out a power chair. If they let you, it’s ok to take it easy, moving one step at a time. Try your best and you’re hardest. You will become a pro just like me!”

As of this article, Sarah recently received her power chair wrapped in a beautiful pink bow with her parents and school friends joining in the celebration. We will be sharing Sarah’s progress towards independent mobility in upcoming issues of our e-newsletter, as well as on our social media sites.