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Permalink Reply by Colleen on November 19, 2008 at 12:45pm

Hi Mary & Warren,
Here are some things I have learned from purchasing 2 wheelchairs. Make sure the seat can be exchanged for a larger size to fit your son as he grows. The base of the chair should be able to support andadult's weight. Buying a pediatric chair can be a mistake because my son gained a considerable amount of weight after I purchased his first chair(pediatric) and it could not function properly because he was tool heavy for it. Insurance would not cover another chair for another 3 yrs. Keep that in mind. My son just turned 12 but has been dependent upon his electric chair for almost 3 yrs. He does have recline and tilt to stretch out and this is great for his posture and spine. The legs lift as well so he can get his legs straight. He can not stand on his own so these features really benefit him. We did not get the elevating seat, It really didn't seem like an necessity and it is an option that is very difficult to get insur. coverage for. When you do order make sure you have a PT or doctor be ready to explain each feature on the chair and why it is needed. The whole process from the date we ordered the chair to the day my son actually received it was 7mos. and I was told that was pretty good by other parents. Just want you to be prepared. My son has a Quantum 600. Hope this was helpful. Best of luck to you and your family.

Colleen

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Permalink Reply by Kimberly Foernsler on November 19, 2008 at 1:18pm

Kory had a chair that did everything. When it was first requested after spinal fusion my insurance declined it 2 times and said that a manual wheel chair would work. I had to send them a letter explaining why Kory needed a power chair and explained the need for the special features. I basically gave them a sob story. But it worked. We got everything but a pencil box that wasn't needed. The lift part helped when moving him from the bed to the wheelchair and also putting him in the bed if we were doing it manually. We had one of the overhead lifts but when Kory lost so much weight it wasn't worth the hassle so other than bathing we didn't use the overhead. We purchased the overhead lift when Kory got so heavy and because of the special lifting needed after spinal fusion. In other words go for the gusto and give the insurance a sob story if needed and I think you'll be fine!! Your son needs to be as independent as possible. I was reluctant to give into the power chair with Kory but when I saw how happy he was to be able to keep up with his friends it was awesome. All of his friends would ride their bikes and there was Kory keeping right up with them in his chair. Of course Kory picked a fast chair!!! It was durable and fast. I'm actually giving it away to another parent that I met on PPMD. I think her son will love it!! Kory used it for 2 almost 3 years before he passed away. Make sure you get the tray it was needed in the last few years for eating and doing school work. That was the one thing that Kory didn't want on his chair but I insisted. Kory thought it made him look like he was sitting in a highchair. We never used the one with his first powerchair but the 2nd one was used the entire time!!

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Permalink Reply by Samantha Dearing on November 19, 2008 at 1:40pm

Justins chair is an Invacare Arrow. It has worked great for him and he puts it through some rough stuff. His chair has tilt/recline and the leg lifts to help stretch amd straighten his legs. Our base was a large base to accomodate any size changes. About a year ago, he got a whole new seating system from a pediatric one to an adult one. It doesnt have the raising seat. he tried one out and hated it so we didnt even try to get one for his chair. One thing is to try out different controllers! We didnt and Justin hated the one that came standard with the chair. We tried three different ones before he found one that he liked. He has a roho cushion on it that works well. We have been through several sets of tires, but as I said, Justin is very hard on the chair. We live on 11acres and he races it through the pastures all the time. We also have a rock driveway it goes over. The tray that came with Justins chair is very small and unstable and he wont use it. Thats probably one thing I really wish we had!

--Samantha

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Permalink Reply by Karen on November 19, 2008 at 2:16pm

Hi
Our son uses an invacare storm. He is 16. We have tilt and elevator. We worked hard to get the elevator covered because it will allow him to access science labs and see over big high school students. The classes are packed and the only way to see the board is to go up. We also got a swing away arm so that he can get under tables for school and meals. He also has a roho quatro seat that works great. He has not had spinal surgery. Good luck to you. So many choices.

Karen

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Permalink Reply by vilma rodriguez on November 25, 2008 at 2:15pm

hi I used Shrinners seating team to evaluate my son for his first and second power wheelchairs and both times they recomended Quickie we had no problems at all for the 5 yrs we had each chair. Now he has a Permobil The advantage with Shrinners is that you do everything in one place x rays ,orthopedics physician, pt and seating specialist a great team of proffessionals that will help you decide the best options for your sons needs and the insurance wont argue their letters of medical neccesity. They will also inspect the chair to make sure the vendor that is used, do everything according to specifications and that is very important to make sure your son is confortable in a proper posture. If you can try to get as many options as you can because he will use them and they will make life more easier. I was very upset that my son was going to be in a wheelchair but his neuroligist told me that what for me seem terrible for him was freedom to be independent and he was so right.

Best Wishes God Bless

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