Friday 8 July 2011

Three dimensional living.

Such a simple thing, something we all take for granted. We stretch up to reach that tall cupboard, or grab the apple straight from the tree. We reach down low to grub in the dirt, pick things up from the floor, do our shoelaces up. And then we stand/slouch/sit/take up any one of a hundred positions inbetween.

We move forwards and backwards, side to side. And up and down.

Up until now, the Little Princess has lived life in two dimensions. She's beetled about backwards and forwards, side to side, but lived most of her life at a level more or less limited to somewhere between 30 and 60 cms off the ground - her seated height plus her ability to bend.

It's a decent, functional height, on the whole, for a child her age. Sitting, her head is on a level with her peers when they stand. And her knees are mostly able to fit under tables in restaurants and cafes, albeit at a slight angle to accommodate her joystick.
Plenty you can do at that height - her she is, helping the gardener using a long-handled something, to trim the edges of the lawn.

But.

Now she has other options. Raising her chair up high, she can reach the sink to wash up, and the cooker to melt butter. She can sit in the middle of the room and watch the windows for visitors and give an embarrassingly loud commentary on all the neighbours' activities. She delights in coming up high so we can cuddle without me crouching down.

And then there's this. No longer limited to just what she can do with the long-handled tools. She watches, imitates, and is free to get down and join in, no need to be lifted out of her chair, no need to wait for someone to lift her back in. Just the freedom to squat down, dig a hole, find a worm and a woodlouse and five stripey snails, and help plant our new borders.
Life in three dimensions. Just living.
Tia

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh how wonderful for LP! I'm sure she is enjoying being able to get into more positions--and more things!!
So neat how they are able to make wheelchairs that promote more independent living!
Debra

R said...

I'm jealous - my chair is fixed height and about 2 inches too tall to get my knees under tables. Which means having to sit alongside a table, which means my PA can't reach easily to help me and that everybody passing will bump my chair.

So glad that tLP is enjoying her chair, is she making much use of the tilt/recline functions too?

It'll be GREAT at school - down with everybody else for carpet/circle time, reach stuff, transfer to other seats when needed MUCH more easily...

pippinsmum said...

How wonderful that her world has been enlarged so. Don't worry too much about the neighbours, they won't hear unless the window is open.

Alesha said...

It's so good to be reminded of the things we take for granted; but it's even better to hear that tLP is being able to experience those things now! Very exciting!!!

Alesha

MOM2_4 said...

How truly wonderful for tLP!

Clare said...

Hi Tia..what an amazing chair! Can I ask what it's called?

Sara x said...

I love this giving her freedom and independence. X

Tia said...

Hi there, it is a Skwirrel 2, made by Huka in the Netherlands, and in the UK imported through DCS Joncare. Who, rather handily, are based less than a mile from our doorstep, which makes those "she's just smashed a headlamp, taken out the indicators and flattened the mudguard, help" calls much easier!

Really lovely chair and the seating unit can be made to interface with other seating systems too, so as and when she needs something more specialised, wheelchair services will help us with that.

LinkWithin

Blog Widget by LinkWithin