Daisy Kneeshaw’s Story: How a Permobil Powerchair Provided Independence
The lovely Daisy Kneeshaw, who has Cerebral Palsy, faces significant challenges with digestion due to spending prolonged periods of time in her wheelchair. Without a powered wheelchair, Daisy would rely on her parents for mobility, not only putting pressure on them but also limiting her own independence. Simple activities such as getting dressed for school were difficult, as well as other hobbies which she loves, for example cooking.
The need for a solution led to consultation with our in-house Permobil Expert, based on a recommendation from her Occupational Therapist, Deborah Snape. Following a number of thorough assessments and product trials with many chair adjustments, we managed to provide Daisy with the perfect powered wheelchair with standing functionality, which transformed her independence both at home and at school.
The Challenge:
Improving Daisy’s posture and overall comfort in her wheelchair was a primary challenge. Her existing chair posed problems such as swivelling, improper footplate positioning, and limited power and movement functions, compromising her independence and overall well-being.
Daisy also needed a chair that would help improve her posture and positioning, as she often slipped over to one side and her previous chair caused her hip and knee to be out of alignment. Without being addressed, this could have led to serious ongoing health issues.
The Solution:
Our in-house Permobil expert undertook a full postural seating assessment with Daisy, taking precise measurements to build a bespoke Permobil powered wheelchair with standing functionality, and other bespoke add-ons to provide more independence.
The standing function has made a huge difference to Daisy’s life, as well as her family, as not only is the transition into standing and vertical rise much easier, but she can now also enjoy more social interactions with family and friends at eye-level, and her digestion has improved enormously.
The bespoke features included a bone shaped headrest, to provide a balance between optimum comfort and feedback.
We also included a colourful accent set with the chair, so that Daisy can change the colours on the Permobil whenever she wants — this was really important to Daisy, as it provides some individuality. The personalised joystick we provided further supported this.
By enabling Daisy to become more comfortable and independent with her new standing function on her powerchair, she has become more confident and willing to participate in cooking and other activities at school.
Comments From The Family:
“We found the team very helpful. They assisted in creating a bespoke wheelchair for Daisy, including precise measurements and a comfortable seat. The chair has had a substantial impact as Daisy can now stand daily, something she avoided before due to discomfort in her stander. The standing function has made dressing for school more convenient for us, improving our physical health. Daisy’s confidence to stand at school, especially during practical activities like cooking, has noticeably improved with the chair. It has been beneficial in many ways.”
Christine Kneeshaw.
