Kids + Penny

Give Where You Live is proud to support Kids Plus who deliver early intervention therapy programs for babies, children, students and young adults with neuro-developmental disabilities with a $30,000 grant.

Liz Manning, mum to Penny, writes about the difference a new wheel chair provided by Kids Plus has made to Penny and to the entire family.

Penny bakes a cake…

‘The sit to stand wheelchair has made all the difference to Penny. She loves the standing function and she tells us she feels so much more comfortable after standing and stretching.The difference it has made to her in terms of mobility independence and social interaction has been fantastic. She stands now to do art or cook at school, like the other kids. She stands to cook at home, or just because she wants to. She takes complete charge of this.

She can raise her seat when she wants to be higher and look us in the eye – and she’s doing this a lot. She stands to feed her fish – she got a fish tank when she turned 16, and now, aged 17, for the first time she can actually reach to feed them! She adores this!!

She puts her lights on (the chair) when it’s dark, and her hazards on when she¹s feeling cheeky. And she toots the horn if she wants to call us – and if we’re not quick enough she leaves her finger on and blasts it!! She uses the tilt to move her back forward or back a little -the first time she’s been able to independently adjust her position to be more comfortable. Think of that! It is fantastic.

And for us, no lifting or crouching over a bed that¹s too low to be comfortable for a change when out and about. It will make going places so much easier for us and so much more comfortable for Penny.

So, all in all, I want to share how fantastic this is, and thank you all so much for your help in making it happen.’