The Freeman family – grant recipients - Barnwood Trust

The Freeman family – grant recipients

Enabling spontaneity and independence

Following an accident at work, Vanda Freeman suffered nerve-end damage and has been living with chronic pain for around 15 years.

Now 44, Vanda lives with her husband Phil, and their children 8-year-old Katie and 12-year-old Curtis.

Phil gave up work a couple of years ago to care for Vanda, and living on a reduced income, whilst also having to constantly buy and update special equipment, has meant some financial struggles. So when Vanda set her sights on an electric hoist, the family knew that they couldn’t afford it.

‘We certainly couldn’t have found the money’ says Vanda; ‘It would have taken years to save for it.’

That’s when they turned to Barnwood Trust.

A daily struggle

For the past two and a half years Vanda had been using an electric wheelchair which is extremely heavy – due to the two large batteries.

Phil had to remove the batteries and lift the wheelchair in and out of the car every time Vanda wanted to go anywhere. This was affecting his back and also made spontaneous or independent trips impossible.

‘I was getting concerned for Phil’ says Vanda; ‘lugging it in, lugging it out. By the time he’s done all that he wants a rest, let alone me.’

Then, in spring 2009, Barnwood Trust covered the entire cost of an electric wheelchair hoist – and that changed everything...

Life-changing for the whole family

The hoist is fitted into the Freeman family car and runs off the car battery.

Vanda can now manage to get the chair in and out of the car without having to rely on Phil. The children can also operate the hoist by themselves.

Having the hoist means that Vanda can do ordinary things like going to the park or the pictures:

‘Vanda can take Katie to town, buy her clothes, instead of me trying to do it’, adds Phil.

Phil’s back is better too. He has more freedom and is not constantly worrying about Vanda, because he knows she can manage:

‘Even though I like being with Vanda and am there for her 24/7, there are times when she needs just to get away from me for an hour or so or vice versa and now that’s what she can do.’

A brighter future

The family have only had the hoist for a few months but they are already planning a summer camping trip – and are sure the hoist, and the freedom from worry it represents, will improve their lives in many ways.

As Vanda says:

‘If it’s good weather, we’re off and we can do it. We can do it. It’s brilliant isn’t it?’

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