Immediately I was struck by the size of the chair, although momentarily distracted by the lovely colourful jungle animals on the spoke guard... a giraffe, a zebra, a monkey, a hippo... but I digress! The Simba is much taller, bulkier and not so toddler sized compared with the Panthera. Eilidh sat higher off the ground and didn't look quite as comfortable but was still able to move the chair which was great as it is approximately 4kg heavier than the Panthera Micra. She was able to put the brakes on and off and on and off again... and Bella-Bear had another free ride too.
Another youth chair was also suggested. Allowing for growth in width and seat depth, the TiLite YG is another lightweight contender.
So today was certainly another positive experience. I talked with the Albion rep about mobility and independence in such young children in the UK and she again confirmed that Eilidh would be offered a buggy but that I could push for a manual wheelchair if I thought that it was in her best interest. She confirmed that the Panthera Micra would not be available through the NHS. We talked about funding and wheelchair services in the NHS and how there appears to be a huge discrepancy between who should probably get a chair and who actually does. I am now beginning to understand that wheelchair services should, ideally, be removed from under NHS remit and given an overhaul - in time, perhaps, in time.
No comments:
Post a Comment