Check it out! There's a wheelchair in our house!
Back in January, we met a Wheelchair Rep (representative) at DuPont's wheelchair clinic. That appointment was a nightmare. I left angry and defeated, and feeling like they didn't get a clear picture of Isaiah and they didn't think he'd ever be able to move a manual wheelchair, that we needed to wake up and see Isaiah in the light they saw him in. We agreed there that they'd get a demo of a wheelchair for us, one that offers the support he needs and can push, but I expected them to be setting him up for failure.
I spoke to Isaiah's PT and she works with the rep that we met at DuPont. She spoke with him about how she sees Isaiah, they tweeked some things, and we worked it out so when the Rep came to our home with the demo, it'd be during one of Isaiah's PT sessions.
When they arrived yesterday, Isaiah was eating in his high chair and looking happy. As I opened the door to let everyone it, I saw the chair.
It's HUGE. Way too big. It's 50 pounds with everything on it and not even including Isaiah's weight.
I thought "I was right, they are setting him up for failure."
They made some adjustments. We put him in it and Isaiah quickly went into the mode he was in back in January when we went to the wheelchair clinic at DuPont.
How many people does it take to make Isaiah flip his lid?
Four. Three to drive him crazy up close and one to take pictures. ;-)
But, once they finished making the adjustments, and I was able to distract him with a story...
He calmed down.
His PT started encouraging him to touch the wheels...
and he did this: (Warning, turn your volume way down/off, because this is one proud momma and clearly I yell when I'm proud lol)
Ten minutes in this big clunky chair and he is already trying to move it! Even adjusting his hand already! Go Isaiah!
I knew you could do It, baby!
This chair is too large. But the rep knows that, this was just the smallest demo he could get his hands on.
Can you imagine how well he'll do in a chair fitted for him specifically? When he can reach both wheels? (That way he won't spin himself in circles. ha)
Currently we are figuring out the exact brand chair that will be best for him. Figuring out the right wheel configuration for Isaiah (in the demo, the wheels are flipped, big wheels up front, small in the back) so he can easily reach the big wheels, but we're wondering if we had a different chair and the seat was back further/wheels tilted in, could he reach? Our heads are spinning and we're in talks with his PT and the rep. We have his next PT scheduled to have the rep back again so we can order a chair, but we may reschedule. There's a lot to understand in the wheelchair world!
Once the chair is ordered, it'll take about 3 months to have it customized for Isaiah. We're hopeful we'll have it by his second birthday.
In the meantime, we have another set of wheels that was generously gifted to us by a sweet 2 year old and his sweet family. More on that on Monday. ;-)
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