"Wheelchair Service Assessment"

It is very rare, as a young person with chronic illness, to meet a health care professional who not only renews your faith in the healthcare system but also reaffirms your faith in other people. I met Jo in February 2025 for a wheelchair assessment, after 5 years of worsening mobility due to hEDS has led to me falling and injuring myself multiple times. I am not quite 30, female, and hoping to get pregnant this year, and I could not have been more surprised and uplifted by my experience. Jo saw my unusual referral and ensured that she saw me personally, because she understood that my case would require the time to listen to me and work out exactly what kind of mobility aid would suit my needs and lifestyle best.

It is the only appointment since my diagnosis where I haven't felt like I constantly need to justify myself, my condition, and my difficulties. Jo is incredibly empathic and understanding, in a practical no-nonsense way that made me miss my mum so acutely! I felt respected as a person, my opinion and wishes were taken into account, and she helped me to understand exactly what design features she was recommending (she even went to the services' store to bring a similar chair to our room to show me) so that I could make an informed decision where appropriate. I could not recommend this service more and I am incredibly thankful to have met Jo, at the end of a very difficult week when I already felt pretty upset and jaded by my medical issues and interactions with other service providers.