Thomas’s Story
Cerebral Palsy affects every person differently, Thomas has Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy and is unable to sit or walk unaided so he is dependent on his wheelchair which is now 7 years old. Unsurprisingly, Thomas has now outgrown his posture-controlled seat unit on his Balder wheelchair and it had become very uncomfortable for him, so he was using his basic NHS indoor power chair all of the time.
What he really needed was a new posture controlled seat to go on the base of his powered chair. He has enough strength in his right arm to operate the chair if he can sit comfortably in it.
So Variety provided the kind of seating system that was not only comfortable for Thomas but could be mounted on his height adjustable Balder power chair. Now it is easier for him to be part of the activities at school and to socialise more with friends and family because his chair raises his height to their level.
With his new seat, on his power chair, he is also able to play his favourite sport of Boccia, a precision ball game similar to bowls, in which he came 2nd out of 10 schools in a recent tournament.
Thomas’s mum says:
“His approach to life is amazing considering his limitations. We are so proud of him. We can really enjoy our days out now, with Thomas using his much-improved wheelchair seating system.”