Teenager busks to put a few dollars to mum’s $42,000 mobility chair

‘‘If ever you thought it was too hard to go for a walk, just imagine how happily my mum would trade her legs for yours,’’ the Givealittle page of 13-year-old Sienna Wheeler states.

Sienna’s mother, Lisa Wheeler, is living with multiple sclerosis, which is gradually robbing her of her freedom, and the teenager is trying to raise the funds to purchase an Omeo mobility chair, which would allow her mum more freedom of movement. Sienna, accompanied by her friend James Dight, went busking in Blenheim yesterday to raise a few extra dollars.

The teenager set up the Givealittle page with dad Andrew’s help, and had so far raised $13,814 of her $42,000 goal.

‘‘Anyone who knows my mum Lisa, knows her as an inspiring person who always takes everything life throws at her and makes the best of it. She often says ‘It’s a great day today because I’m awake and here, and I have you’, and my mum lives every day with a positive attitude,’’ the Givealittle page says. ‘‘I haven’t been anywhere by myself for such a long time,’’ Wheeler said. ‘‘With this chair, I could go anywhere I wanted, as long as there are no stairs.

‘‘It would mean that we could go out, and we could go around the park and I could hold my husband’s hand while we’re walking, because he’s not pushing a wheelchair behind me. We could have a conversation.

‘‘This is all about us being able to do things together again, because we haven’t been able to go and do things like we would have in the past, or if we had bodies that worked.’’

Sienna said on her page her mother used to run halfmarathons and go snowboarding, and once went scuba-diving in Thailand and hang-gliding off Coronet Peak. ‘‘This disease has really slowed her down.

‘‘I believe that this Omeo chair will allow her so much more freedom to explore the outdoors with us and just be independent again.’’ The Omeo wheelchair was based on a Segway, Wheeler said, using body movement to drive. ‘‘We’re so lucky that it’s here in our country, with our Kiwi ingenuity,’’ she added.

The family recently travelled to Wellington where the chairs were manufactured to test one out. ‘‘If I sit in this [her current] wheelchair, 10 or 15 minutes later I’m so stiff and uncomfortable and sore, but I rode that Omeo for 2-and-a-half hours, and it was fine, because you’re actively engaged,’’ she said.

The family had funded all of her treatments and equipment themselves until now. ‘‘We thought just this once if lots of people donated just a little, it would be really achievable,’’ Wheeler said.

‘‘The biggest thing for my mum is to be able to come with me and dad to walk the dog. It’s been six years since she could do that,’’ Sienna said.