25th Anniversary Giveaway

We received an overwhelming number of entries from the end users themselves, rest homes and retirement villages, family members and schools, which made choosing only 25 winners very difficult for our team. We had entries for children right up to those in their 90's with varying disabilities and mobility issues. Below is just a small selection of the entries we received and some comments from winners.

"At our special needs school, we have am emphasis on our students accessing and being part of their local community. We go on all sorts of fun outings. Some of our students however fatigue easily and find it difficult to walk on some of our outdoor outings. These students are not eligible for funded wheelchairs. Our school has a very limited budget for purchasing wheelchairs for general use. A wheelchair that students with reduced energy and tolerance for walking any distance could use to access their community would have huge benefits."
- Kimi Ora School, Evans Bay Satellite

"My mum is 84 years old and increasingly more frail and unable to stand for too long or walk safely. She has a walker and a walking stick but is at the stage now she needs a wheelchair. It would make such a difference to her life so she can get out and about more and do all the things she loves like joining her children for family events. The person it would help also is my 88 year old dad who is her full-time carer, chief cook, loving companion and husband of over 60 years."
- Helen, Auckland

"I have arthritis, fibromyalgia and chronic regional pain syndrome. I spend a lot of time bed bound or home bound due to my pain levels. I miss out on activities with friends frequently."
- Jess, Palmerston North

"I have an energy limiting multi-system chronic illness that leaves me housebound and bedbound. This would mean I could venture outside my four walls and give myself the best chances of minimising a crash and the negative effects of overexertion. I had a chair when I was a teen at the very beginning of my illness but have since outgrown it now as an adult and I absolutely miss the freedom that it gave me. Hiring a chair is often not available or needs to be booked far in advance which is difficult when I don't know how I'll feel hour to hour."

- Emily, Hamilton

"We would like to thank Allied Medical. Winning that wheelchair is just amazing and it has made life easier for mum. I am able to take her out and about, her Lewy Body Dementia means her movement has become really slow and I was unable to take her out as much but now, thanks to you all, we are able to do so. We are so overwhelmed with gratitude."
- Naaz, Auckland

"We were thrilled and delighted to be the winner of this wheelchair. It arrived over the Christmas period, and since then it has been thoroughly utilised by our volunteers to take our less-able care facility residents on walks outside. It’s light, simple to use and is a huge help in making our lives for our residents more enjoyable. Thank you very much for this wonderful gift to Kerikeri Retirement Village."
- Kerikeri Retirement Village, Kerikeri

A huge thank you to everyone who submitted an entry and congratulations again to our winners. We have loved seeing your pictures and hearing how your new wheelchair has been utilised.