Sandown, UK -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/30/2015 -- Laura Ferrett is a 20-year-old British woman who is having some serious health issues – but she's not going to take it lying down.
Ferrett suffers from myalgic encephalomyelitis (also known as chronic fatigue syndrome) as well as conversion disorder, a condition in which severe neurologic symptoms exist but cannot be explained by medical evaluation. These two maladies have left her paralyzed from the waist down and she is a full-time wheelchair user.
"My family and I recently moved to the Isle of Wight," says Ferrett. "One of the reasons was to improve my health and quality of living. Well, we've only been here for a month and I can already feel the difference."
Despite her condition, Ferrett is not content to be housebound. She has an unbridled enthusiasm for life and wants to be outside, exploring new horizons. To do so, however, requires a special type of all-terrain wheelchair.
"We live only two miles from the beach," she says, "but it is physically impossible for my chair to maneuver through the sand. An all-terrain wheelchair would not only solve this particular problem but it would also allow me to explore other areas which would normally be off limits, such as the field behind our house.
"I am also hoping to volunteer at our local Donkey Sanctuary and an all-terrain chair would be incredibly helpful when it comes to navigating the paddock."
The wheelchair she needs is the Trekinetic K-2. With the necessary accessories and attachments, it sells for 5,307 pounds (about $8,038). Her family can't afford to buy one so she has launched an Indiegogo campaign to raise money.
The Indiegogo page, which can be viewed at https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/a-trekinetic-k2-all-terrain-wheelchair, includes a photo of the Trekinetic K-2.
Donations of any amount are welcome. "I honestly cannot explain how much of a difference the chair will make in my life," Ferrett says. "Before I got sick, I was an excellent swimmer I and snorkeler, and have a deep love of the ocean.
"For this to be off limits to me is nothing short of gut-wrenching. Even if people can only donate a small amount, it all adds up in the end. Getting an all-terrain wheelchair would be a dream come true."
For further information or to make a donation, visit https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/a-trekinetic-k2-all-terrain-wheelchair
Ferrett can be reached directly at spaghetti.ferretti@gmail.com
Contact Name: Laura Ferrett
Company Name: A Trekinetic K2 All Terrain Wheelchair
Email Address: spaghetti.ferretti@gmail.com
Website URL: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/a-trekinetic-k2-all-terrain-wheelchair
City: Apse Heath, Sandown
State: Isle of Wight
Zip Code: PO36-0JR
Country: UK
Phone Number: +44-7513742262