May is National Mobility Awareness Month! Each year, Mobility Awareness Month provides an opportunity for people who rely on mobility solutions of any kind to share their story, explore new options, and celebrate “life moving forward.”
We love to participate in this annual observation by sharing stories of how our clients have been positively impacted by changes in their mobility, whether they define “mobility” as increased range-of-motion through physical therapy or increased independence thanks to accessible transportation, modified vehicles, and adaptive equipment.
Why Mobility Matters
The right mobility equipment can unlock greater independence and enjoyment.
Mobility can be a game-changer not just for an individual living with a traumatic injury or illness but for their family, friends, caregivers, and medical teams. Mobility doesn’t just mean physical ability, either! Consider…
- Not being able to discharge from the hospital because your home is not equipped to accommodate a wheelchair
- Not being able to secure a replacement wheelchair or power chair when yours breaks down, leaving you virtually housebound
- Missing medical appointments because your transportation falls through and you don’t have an accessible vehicle of your own
- Not being able to use your smartphone or access your favorite social media sites because of the limited dexterity in your hands
- Missing your brother’s graduation because your caregiver can’t make it and you can’t transport yourself to the ceremony
What would you miss out on without accessible transportation?
Now imagine…
- Pursuing exercise-based rehabilitation and experiencing the gradual return of motion and sensation in your area of injury
- Applying for your dream job because you know you can make it to work on time every day thanks to an accessible vehicle
- Finding a low-cost tech solution that lets you make calls, lock your doors, and read news articles online again
- Experiencing full control over your hands and fingers through a clinical trial
- Being able to stand again temporarily by using a specialized exoskeleton
Adaptive equipment can put an independent life within reach -- literally!
Mobility isn’t just walking, moving, and rolling to your destination. It can affect everything from daily comfort and autonomy to future job prospects and relationships. But it’s not cheap…
The Cost of Mobility
According to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center, the lifetime cost of a spinal cord injury is between $1.5 million to over $4.6 million if you are injured at age 25. Mobility can be impacted by many other conditions, from traumatic brain injuries to strokes to catastrophic illnesses – each with their own hefty price tags for lifelong care.
Those staggering numbers include the high cost of mobility-related necessities. Here’s how much you can expect to pay yearly for some key mobility items:
How Fundraising Helps: A Pathway to Independence
For many people struggling to cover their mobility needs, fundraising creates powerful new possibilities. Here’s how.
- Fundraising empowers you to take action to change your circumstances by learning how to effectively plan fundraisers and engage supporters
- Fundraising creates a financial lifeline to put mobility items and services within your reach.
- Fundraising helps fight isolation by reminding you you’re not alone: you have an entire community behind you that wants to see you succeed.
- Fundraising gives you bill pay relief: let our team pay direct to vendor so you don’t have to shoulder the administrative burden of big mobility purchases.
Fundraising provides purpose, financial support, and a connection to your community.
Fundraising can be lifechanging in more ways than one. Just ask Jeff Harris, a part of the Mid-Atlantic Catastrophic Injury Fund.
If you or someone you know would like to access mobility resources through fundraising, visit helphopelive.org to unlock new possibilities. Fundraising with Help Hope Live could help you cover some of the top mobility costs as well as a host of other common out-of-pocket medical and related expenses, including:
- Physical Therapy
- Medical Costs, like Co-Pays and Medications
- Home Health Care
- Home Accessibility Modifications
- An Accessible Vehicle
- And More
From accessible travel to ongoing physical therapy, mobility matters!
See Why Mobility Matters!
All month long, we’ll be bringing you incredible true stories about life after injury, navigating your world with a catastrophic illness, and how mobility opens new doors day after day. Stay tuned, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss a memorable story of hope.
Written by Emily Progin
