Moving Forward with 2 Feet on the Ground! hasn't added a story.
Hi, my name is Debbie, just turned 60 this year. I was diagnosed with Relapsing Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RRMS) in 1995, 25 years later I'm still moving, be it a bit slower but always moving forward! I use a walker or 2 quad canes and for long distances I use a wheelchair (as long as someone pushes me).
MS is a disease that effects everyone differently, belong to a wonderful support group here in Edmonton and everyone has different symptoms. I developed drop foot on my left leg in 2007 and started wearing a Walkaide (It's an advanced functional electrical stimulation system) it basically raises the foot at the appropriate time during each step to avoid tripping. Hence the use a walker or canes, to date have never broke any bones and want to keep it that way! In 2018 I began wearing a full leg brace due to hyper-flexion and over all left leg weakness.
My whole life I have always been very active, growing up doing figure skating, baseball, running, swimming and much more. Exercise is a big part of a healthy lifestyle. Healthy body, healthy mind...we are what we eat and think. I was swimming 3 times a week and do therapy once a week. With Covid it came to an abrupt stop, slowly things are opening up and I am now back swimming 3 times a week and therapy once a week . The therapy I do is Kinesiology based (whole body) at Reyu here in Edmonton. That saying "if you don't use it, you lose it" rings so true and even more so as we age.
Reyu is where I learned about the Alinker Bike, Ceilidh brought her own bike and I tried it out and it was amazing. Walking with a walker I can tire fairly quickly, with the bike it has me sitting in a comfortable position, when I use my legs to walk it is totally different. The first time using it I could go so much further expending much less energy and my legs were getting a really good workout. I felt a feeling of Freedom, something I haven't felt in years. So looking forward to getting my own Alinker Bike as I will be able to use it year round. Going out for walks, packing in my vehicle and taking it to the mall or using it when I go on holidays, something I never thought I would be able to do again...going for Long Walks. The winter months or when it's raining I can use it in the underground parkade where I live.
To purchase this bike is not something that I can afford living on a disability pension and then I was told about setting up a campaign so this is what I am doing. The cost of the bike is $2200 USD or about $3000 CDN. The crowdfunding Campaign is in USD.
I have always raised money for causes that are close to my heart; The MS Walk to End MS and the past couple years for Reyu. This year and for the first time ever I'm raising money to purchase the Alinker Bike for me! Feels different when asking people to support a charity compared to raising money to purchase a bike but I'm worth it and it will be something that will keep me mobile for years to come. Please support My Campaign and by using the Alinker and spreading the word about it, I'm sure I will help many people set up their own campaigns to get a bike of their own.
It's all about caring and sharing and paying it forward. We all have to help each other in this Journey of Life.
It is wonderful that Barb Alink invented this bike for her aging mother as she never wanted to use a walker. Barb set out to design something for her mother not realizing she would be creating a vehicle for social change. "Other devices in this area offer a technical solution for a body with a problem, reducing the user to a body with a problem. The Alinker is designed for how you want to live your life. The user moves independently, is at eye level, and is the person with the cool bike rather than being dismissed and isolated as disabled".
This bike will change the lives of so many with mobility issues, so please support my cause so I can keep moving with a grateful and positive outlook on life!
The campaigns are about sharing. Most people have no idea what life is like when you live with MS or what happens after you have a stroke. Isolation is often a bigger problem than the symptoms of the disease itself. With the campaigns we can share and educate people, because it can happen to all of us. When we create a movement where people simply show up for each other, it might get a bit ‘safer’ and less ‘scary’ to engage with each other. Some people share their experiences on their campaign, others share their funds to support the campaigns. It is not about asking for money, it is creating an opportunity for people to learn and show up with #generosity. Being generous resonates with who we are as humans. We understand generosity deeply and when you practice it, you feel so much better
PLEASE NOTE
- The campaigns are in USD $, and since to the pandemic the price increased from September onwards $2950 USD. This includes the Alinker, shipping, process and campaign fees and our #AlinkerFamily support.
- The campaigns are all or nothing, no credit cards are charged unless the campaign reaches its goal.
- As soon as the campaign reaches its goal, we ship an Alinker (from direct stock or you'll be placed in line, delivery 6-8 weeks).
- Campaigners do not handle money. On disability or welfare, you cannot handle money without being penalized, but you can receive an Alinker !
- When the campaign raises more than the goal, the campaigner can chose another campaign which we then make the donation to, paying it forward, or the balance will be placed in our Collective Campaign to help future campaigners.
- If you want to start a campaign and are outside Canada or the USA, write an email to stephanie@thealinker.com. We can potentially get a shipping quote to where you live, and include that in the campaign goal, though we like to keep shipping at a minimum, so we will not ship anywhere beyond $250 shipping costs.
Together we build a movement of kindness and generosity, because we all need it
Why do we facilitate crowdfunding on our site?
We believe that the Alinkers should be available for everybody, regardless of income and people who start a crowdfunding campaign here, will have access to a life changing Alinker. These crowdfunding campaigns are the first step to make Alinkers available for everybody. BE and the Alinker company are now putting their energy together to build a generous community around all the campaigners! The campaigners are people who allow others to show up generously, give them love!
Here is the Alinker segment as was aired on CBS Innovation Nation October 2019 - https://youtu.be/pk96VDkJ9NU
Why an Alinker?
Generally, medical devices are a technical solution for a body with a
problem.
The Alinker is designed for who we are, a whole human
being, who wants to live an active and engaged life. We are a human,
we have a body. Whether we miss a leg of have MS, it does not change
who we are.
Yet the world we live in, treats us as a body with a problem, which creates a social divide between people based on their body, based on what we have, not on who we are. Isolation and loneliness are more devastating than the disease itself. So we need to show up for each other, acknowledge each other and be present to who we are.
These campaigns are here to bridge the gap between a high quality custom Alinker, and the people who live at the receiving end of a 'sickcare' system that drives people into poverty.
So, show up, be radically generous, it is something we humans really
understand.
When you read each story in each campaign, pause and
imagine who that person is, and why they started the campaign, reach
out to them, let them know they are surrounded and seen, heard and not
alone. When we do that, we feel better and create a safer community
where we know we can show up for each other. It connects us with our
essence, we are radically generous creatures, we just got a little
lost in systems that are not designed for our wellness.
Alinkers change lives, here are a few people
GO TO CROWDFUND, WHY, HOW, START
Who is the Alinker for?
The Alinker is for people who want to stay active, regardless of mobility challenges.
To operate and use the Alinker you must have the ability to:
- walk to some degree
- flex and extend your legs
- bear weight on one leg briefly while getting on and off the Alinker
- be consciously aware of your surroundings
- be aware of your ability and limitations
What is the Alinker?
The Alinker is an exceptionally cool, three-wheeled walking bike
for humans with mobility constraints. It’s not a medical device,
it’s a lifestyle tool, designed to enable users to lead active and
socially engaged lives — at eye level.
On the Alinker, users sit upright -- at eye level with standing
companions. Weight is supported by the seat with no stress on the
lower body, while handle bars provide additional support. Feet remain
on the ground, keeping users stable and safe.
GO TO CROWDFUND, WHY, HOW, START
Together we'll make this work, in kindness and from the heart
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