EEIBA helps Jo maintain her independence
EEIBA, the electrical industry charity, has helped a woman from Lowestoft keep mobile and independent following help with the provision of a new power chair.
Jo Alexander of Lowestoft in Suffolk was diagnosed with Gigantism at the age of 13. Due to the nature of this rare and complex condition, she suffers from – among other problems associated with her illness – hyper-joint mobility/hypermobility syndrome. One of the main symptoms affecting Jo is severe joint pain in her weight bearing joints, including her back, neck and shoulders.The only way Jo is able to get out and about is via the use of a power chair, but sitting in one position, even after a short space of time, causes her extreme pain and discomfort. With the aid of other charities a new, state-of-the-art power chair that can recline and tilt to alleviate these problems has been funded and supplied to help improve her quality of life.
Jo said, ‘My new chair is absolutely brilliant and includes a number of technical features which have improved my comfort and overall mobility no end. The tilting mechanism removes pressure from my hips which is a big relief and the moulded seat design fits and supports my back perfectly.
‘In addition, the chair is much more compact than the old one and includes elevating foot rests which, again, make doing simple everyday things like going to church or to a restaurant much easier for me. I also don’t need a manual wheelchair anymore, which means I’m much less reliant on other people having to help me and this improved my life immensely.’
Jo’s parents both worked in the electrical sector for a number of years, running their own electrical contracting business, which meant that Jo, who is totally dependent on her mum, qualified for assistance from EEIBA.
Jo added, ‘EEIBA has been such a great help to me in many ways since I became physically disabled about 13 years ago. They’ve assisted with funding for several items, including the advance payment on my motobility car and essential work that needed to be carried out on our bungalow, when we first moved in, including a wheelchair friendly garden.’
