Have you had this happen? Your wheelchair needs repairs, and the cost
is almost a quarter of what the chair cost?
Or your wheelchair van needs service, and the cost is in the thousands
of dollars? Where do you go for
help? Is there help?
Last week my husband and I drove
to our nearest mobility vehicle dealer and service center, six hours away. They are very reputable, and very
hospitable. But we learned my van needs
a new ramp motor and a new controller, for a total of $1,800. That’s
on top of the $750 for a new CD player, which was necessary to keep the GPS
system up-to-date. Unfortunately, the
vehicle’s CD player is interconnected with the GPS and DVD,
and you just can’t go to Best Buy or another place and pop in another
unit. The entire center dash unit had to
be pulled out and sent away for repair.
We were fortunate that we had been
squirreling away some money for a “rainy
day.” We just
didn’t figure the rains would come so soon. And what if another storm comes? My chair, like my van, is out of warranty,
and seems to consume batteries. The
local medical supply store leaves a lot to be desired. The Sears store sells batteries with a 90-day
warranty, and that’s how long they lasted. The batteries I ordered online have a
six-month warranty, and it’s getting
close. A friend thinks maybe I need a
new controller. Heaven forbid!
I’m wondering how many of us have had similar
occurrences. Have you had good luck with
particular suppliers, or bad luck? Are
there funding sources out there that we should know about? Perhaps we could set up an information hub to
share resources. As I remarked on a
Facebook post, “It ain’t cheap
being disabled.” But
perhaps there are ways we can save a little money, and heartbreak.
I’m happy to set up a page on my blog site for
money-saving ideas and resources. If you
have some to share, please let me know, and we can share them with our brothers
and sisters. The e-mail address is umcdisabilityconnections@gmail.com.
“for gaining wisdom
and instruction;
for understanding
words of insight;
for
receiving instruction in prudent behavior,
doing what is right
and just and fair. . .
let
the wise listen and add to their learning,
and let the discerning
get guidance” Proverbs 1:2,3,5
Dear
Father God, We know that like the lilies of the field, and the birds of the
air, we should not worry about our daily needs.
Yet, being human, we cannot keep from worrying. Help us remember that one way you provide for
us is by giving us resources we can share with each other. Thank you for this network of friends that
lifts one another up in friendship and prayer.
Amen.