News
Eagle Point woman with brittle bone disease needs wheelchair lift
December 12, 2006
By Sarah Lemon
Mail Tribune
EDITOR'S NOTE: "Light One Candle" is an annual feature that focuses on the single need of an individual, family or agency during the holidays.
Brittle bone disease and dependence on a wheelchair haven't stopped a 20-year-old Eagle Point woman from striving for independence.
She's been through a job training program and is seeking employment in an office setting, but a dangerous cargo lift is the only means she has of hoisting her wheelchair into her parents' mini van.
The cargo lift, typically seen on delivery vans, is not meant for supporting a wheelchair, so the woman's family must lift her in and out for the drive to job interviews. Although she has health insurance, wheelchair lifts are not covered.
Like shoes, the lifts must be properly fitted to suit the needs of individuals using the equipment, said Glory Cooper, executive director for Mobility Unlimited, a Medford nonprofit organization. — "There are so many rules and regulations on these lifts for safety," Cooper said.
Fundraising efforts have helped Mobility Unlimited outfit a dozen disabled Oregonians with wheelchair lifts this year. Relying on private community donations, the organization aims to put clients in a lift within weeks, but the process can take years for some, Cooper said.
Mobility Unlimited is attempting to help the woman purchase the lift, which costs $6,395. The family plans to place it on a 1979 Chevrolet van, which has many thousands of miles but would be too expensive for the family to replace. Mobility Unlimited cannot help clients purchase vehicles, Cooper said.
Donations can be mailed to Mobility Unlimited, 1214 Stowe Ave., Medford, OR 97501. For more information, call Cooper at 618-9468.
Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487
