The SnapDragon Cometh...

Written on Thursday, August 19, 2010

Lou from Dragonmobility came today - one hour early and catching me a little off guard.  I welcomed her into my home and we talked about my family and life with SMA. Lou shared her family story and was so very open with us which I really welcomed and I instantly felt at ease with her. David arrived home and Eilidh woke up - she took some time to give Lou her first smile but she did smile - first hurdle over, Lou welcomed by Eilidh!

The sun was shining in Glasgow so we decided to go out into the Garden with Eilidh. D sat with Eilidh as I walked around the Snappie. I grinned; orange in colour with furry seats it reminded me of a Ford Cortina - all it needed was some furry dice! It was smaller than I thought, more compact. Not quite as finished perhaps as the Koala - not as cute and cuddly, but functional and precise. I could already see Eilidh sitting in this and becoming independent and enjoying life. (If I am honest I think that I saw her in a Snapdragon from the moment I saw pictures of it and read about Dan, Lou, Ruth and Dragonmobility)

Bella-Bear took Snappie for a spin as Eilidh watched with intrigue and caution. We took the chair off and looked at the standing frame, taking this opportunity to put Eilidh in the seat on the grass with her toys. She became less suspicious and more comfortable: in time we were able to put the chair back on the chassis and let her get used to being on it at grass level.

ready to go!

The beauty of the Snapdragon is just that - it can go from ground level to standing level with the touch of a button - green to the grass below and yellow to the sun above. Red for "peep-peep" which of course brought a smile to Eilidh's face and, in turn to ours too. And then she was off around the garden with daddy at the controls... both slightly apprehensive to start with (and I'm not surprised knowing what D's driving is like!) but they quickly gathered confidence. I too was keen to have a go and I did - I just hope that it felt as liberating for Eilidh as it did for me.

i'm not sure about this, mummy...

 

So back for more tea and biscuits and down to the nitty-gritty about the business, servicing and costs.. Lou continued to endear us, not just to the Snapdragon but to her, her passion and the company's ethos. She talked with such grace that I could not help but like her.

We said our goodbyes, hoping that we would see Lou again, but knowing that we would. D and I need to talk more about our thoughts with regards to the chairs - we need to do what is best for Eilidh AND we need to look for funding... I wonder what colour we will order...