There is a brand new walker out on the market, specifically a walker that is GREAT for kids like Truitt that are far less interested in the actual walking part. Last week at physical therapy, the sales rep for its manufacturer, SnugSeat, brought the demo out for us to try with Truitt. The back wheels lock so that he can only move forward, and he did! He took two solid steps, and then all of his jumping gave the walker the momentum to move forward. It was great, I was so happy to see him going forward, no matter how he did it! It has so many other wonderful features, but I will save all that for when we actually get it.
Anyways, so today was the big day. The day that we would try all kinds of wheelchairs to figure out what is best for our Truitt. Chuck was so helpful and brought several different kinds. I did my research and got the names of chairs fellow special needs friends have and love and Chuck did his best to get his hands on what he could. My top pick WAS the Stingray.
It is very modern looking, much less medical. I also love how comfy it looks and it comes with all of the features Truitt will need for extra support. I had my heart set on it, because I love the look of it. I have to admit, if my son HAS to be in a wheelchair I want the best wheelchair there is. No questions. So when Chuck originally semi-tried to talk me out of it, I was still certain this would be the one.
The one Chuck recommends is the Kimba. A similar but much bigger and medical looking chair.
It is the most commonly ordered wheelchair for kids similar to Truitt. Fortunately, we have been able to try the Kimba for a few weeks now. We are loaning one out from an equipment exchange through the local YMCA. It offers Truitt great support and has a tray, which is awesome for Truitt! He loves to play with his toys on the big tray.
However, this thing is a monster! He is a big boy, and look how tiny he looks. It nearly takes up our whole living room. It is so wide, and so tall, and the handle bar sticks out like a foot. I plain old don't like it. And I don't want to spend our money on something I don't love.Today I got to compare the two. Of course, I already know everything about the Kimba. I was SO anxious to get him in the Stingray, the wheelchair I thought would be perfect. Well, it didn't live up to my expectations. Beautiful, yes. Durable, no. It seems cheaply made, even creaks when you wiggle the handle. The base was made out of plastic it seems, and it just didn't feel like it will hold up well for the 5 years that we will have it. Also, if it were to get damaged somehow, the base would not be easy to repair. More than likely we would have to order a whole new base.
With that being said, I still love the Stingray but I don't trust it. I don't feel confident in ordering it. I also don't want to order the Kimba because I just don't like it. It is WAY too big! I feel like I could never take it into someone's home, or even shopping. Heck, we would take up the whole waiting room at all of his appointments. It is enormous.
If we will be spending $500 to $1,000 out of pocket, money we don't even have right now to spend, I will not settle for anything less than perfect. I want to love every inch of it, every detail, every single feature. After today, I don't think the chair I am imagining exists. If I don't find one that is perfect between now and our Aug. 11th appointment with the Seating Clinic then I will reschedule it.
I am now so stressed on what to do. I expected to order that Stingray, I just knew it would be perfect. It is, but I'm afraid the quality isn't there when we need it. It would maybe be fine, last us 5 years no problem. But if something did happen, and the base or handle bar did break, Truitt would be stuck without a chair for up to a month. And with a child that is wheelchair dependent, we don't have that kind of time.
So...Chuck and I are going to be trying him in a few other chairs and then we will go from there. This is much harder than I ever expected.
I still can't believe I am shopping for wheelchairs for my own son :/
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