Press release: Pushchair adaptor helps disabled mum

Pushchair adaptor helps disabled mum take her baby out in a wheelchair

[Please note that Remap cannot currently supply this equipment. For availability of similar devices, see here.]

A mother with a spinal cord injury is living independently at home with her new baby, with the help of a wheelchair-pushchair adaptor built by Remap South Buckinghamshire, a charity that designs and makes customised equipment for people with disabilities.

Cheryse Wandslyte was involved in a car accident during pregnancy, in which she sustained a cervical spinal cord injury affecting the strength and movement of her arms and legs. This makes it difficult for her to walk over distance, so that she has to use a wheelchair for mobility. Despite the severity of Cheryse’s injuries, her baby girl was born healthily in Stoke Mandeville Hospital five months after the accident.

Cheryse was now faced with the dilemma of how to care for her new baby upon discharge from hospital—in particular, how to carry and look after the baby when out and about in a wheelchair. Nicola Carrig, an occupational therapist (OT) at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, asked the local branch of Remap if they could help. The agreed solution was for Cheryse to find an off-the-shelf lightweight pushchair with a strong enough frame to be pushed using a manually operated wheelchair, and for Remap volunteers Roger Thorn and Roger Allen to design and build a safe, effective attachment mechanism.

The two Rogers’ pushchair adaptor consists of two purpose built aluminium spurs that snap on and off mountings on the wheelchair. The braked rear wheels of the pushchair are lifted off the ground during attachment, so steering is controlled directly from the wheelchair. The adaptor enables the pushchair to tilt up and down, allowing Cheryse to navigate up and down dropped kerbs. Because the pushchair is detachable, it can be still be pushed as normal by family and friends; the mounting spurs also detach easily so the pushchair can be collapsed to fit in the boot of a car.

Because Cheryse has impaired right hand functionality—also the result of the accident—Remap refined the initial prototype loading and anti-detachment mechanism so that Cheryse can attach and detach the pushchair easily using only her left hand.

According to Cheryse, the pushchair adaptor was “a lifesaver” in allowing her to live independently. “It’s marvellous: I can take the baby out on my own, without needing carers. It’s a simple design that I can use easily despite my hands not being brilliant. The Remap people have been nice to talk to and very good at working out what was needed.”

OT Nicola Carrig said: “Remap is quite well known at Stoke Mandeville. They are enthusiastic, proactive, helpful, knowledgeable and discreet. They listened carefully to what Cheryse wanted and she is thrilled with the result.”

Cheryse is now working as a volunteer in patient support at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, and is making a good recovery from her injuries.

Remap South Bucks welcomes requests from healthcare professionals, social services and carers for help in providing customised equipment for people with disabilities. It also welcomes volunteers prepared to give some time designing and building such equipment.