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I’m a traditional sangha member, fully ordained in Taiwan, the fun nun kind. I’m a mom, baker (from a long line of family bakers), seamstress (self-taught), crochet, and artist (MA from Iowa State University in Ames, IA 1990). I am an optimist. I like cats and dogs and own a rescued gray tortoiseshell named Grace. I like nature, to be out in it, would love to go hiking or trail walking in our parks like I used to be able to do. I love to garden, grew sweet potatoes, tomatoes, long ago sweet corn, beans, radishes and carrots. Mobility issues have considerably stopped most outdoor stuff now. Although I have gotten creative with my walker and patio pots, this year I’m stuck indoors gardening. I have embraced diversity leading the way in my family with a marriage and now adult daughter; foods; and volunteer events hosting religious and non religious activities. I love to cook, I fed football players, hungry high school kids, and provided homeless bags to give my daughter to handout to those in need. I love it. I scrounge thrift stores and help set up elderly disabled people start their independence in new apartments. I like challenges in learning and life. I love to see new movies and watch all my old ones until well after knowing what’s going on. I write, sculpt, sew, embroider, cook, and of course sometimes gab with my neighbors. I stand up for my rights as a disabled woman, I help find resources for others who are disabled and the abled bodied.
My disability has been cerebral palsy with post-impairment syndrome. Grew up not having any information regarding lifelong effects, no sympathy, just mainstreamed. I free walked until my 40s with many back injuries, had to get canes, then rollator, then added elbow crutches; anything to relieve the crushing bone pain. However, due to lack of medical expertise much of my mobility has become untreatable. I let my cat Gracie use my powerchair for naps putting a cushion on the seat to keep her claws off the leather. She rides my walker across the floor when she watches me in the kitchen. I have euro-crutches in two weights to help me walk upright, and leave canes in friends cars when I go with them. Rather than be sad, which is not my way. I chose to force myself find ways to keep moving, that’s why when my Women with Cerebral Palsy group on Facebook responded to my request for mobility aids, someone posted the Alinker. They loved theirs. My solution is always keep moving and try anything to make it easier. Walkers, canes, and crutches make nerve pressure on my hands, causing more arthritis in thumb joints and increased forearm pressure due to pushing downward to keep pressure off my back. There is no way for me to make it to our local hiking trails or parks until my endurance builds up, and the only way is to use the Alinker. I tried tricycles (too big, to unwieldy, and roads not in good repair but great in the store but waaay too big), girls bikes were shorter but the step-through was too high because of my foot drop, fell off the bikes trying to get off them every time. I need to be able to get to the stores also on my own and visit doctors more often than I do. I see all kinds of people here in our university town, because of my efforts in making sure my rollator was euro-style and it looks good many other people asked me over these years and now, they are all over town! My building had 3 other people get one too. It’s a college town and people here like to spend money, and on trends. I love the practicality of the Anlinker but they will love the style! The small Alinker will work perfectly. I want to go across town, about 5 to 11 miles in north side to west side, and be able to endure longer periods of walking rather than depending on buses now. I want an active senior lifestyle which involves most of my time in nature doing wonderful walks! Please help me do that, it is just not easy for me to ask for help because I’ve always done for myself my whole life, and I humbly thank you for your help!
The campaigns are about sharing. Most people have no idea what life is like when you live with MS or what happens after you have a stroke. Isolation is often a bigger problem than the symptoms of the disease itself. With the campaigns we can share and educate people, because it can happen to all of us. When we create a movement where people simply show up for each other, it might get a bit ‘safer’ and less ‘scary’ to engage with each other. Some people share their experiences on their campaign, others share their funds to support the campaigns. It is not about asking for money, it is creating an opportunity for people to learn and show up with #generosity. Being generous resonates with who we are as humans. We understand generosity deeply and when you practice it, you feel so much better
PLEASE NOTE
- The campaigns are in USD $, and since to the pandemic the price increased from September onwards $2950 USD. This includes the Alinker, shipping, process and campaign fees and our #AlinkerFamily support.
- The campaigns are all or nothing, no credit cards are charged unless the campaign reaches its goal.
- As soon as the campaign reaches its goal, we ship an Alinker (from direct stock or you'll be placed in line, delivery 6-8 weeks).
- Campaigners do not handle money. On disability or welfare, you cannot handle money without being penalized, but you can receive an Alinker !
- When the campaign raises more than the goal, the campaigner can chose another campaign which we then make the donation to, paying it forward, or the balance will be placed in our Collective Campaign to help future campaigners.
- If you want to start a campaign and are outside Canada or the USA, write an email to stephanie@thealinker.com. We can potentially get a shipping quote to where you live, and include that in the campaign goal, though we like to keep shipping at a minimum, so we will not ship anywhere beyond $250 shipping costs.
Together we build a movement of kindness and generosity, because we all need it
Why do we facilitate crowdfunding on our site?
We believe that the Alinkers should be available for everybody, regardless of income and people who start a crowdfunding campaign here, will have access to a life changing Alinker. These crowdfunding campaigns are the first step to make Alinkers available for everybody. BE and the Alinker company are now putting their energy together to build a generous community around all the campaigners! The campaigners are people who allow others to show up generously, give them love!
Here is the Alinker segment as was aired on CBS Innovation Nation October 2019 - https://youtu.be/pk96VDkJ9NU
Why an Alinker?
Generally, medical devices are a technical solution for a body with a
problem.
The Alinker is designed for who we are, a whole human
being, who wants to live an active and engaged life. We are a human,
we have a body. Whether we miss a leg of have MS, it does not change
who we are.
Yet the world we live in, treats us as a body with a problem, which creates a social divide between people based on their body, based on what we have, not on who we are. Isolation and loneliness are more devastating than the disease itself. So we need to show up for each other, acknowledge each other and be present to who we are.
These campaigns are here to bridge the gap between a high quality custom Alinker, and the people who live at the receiving end of a 'sickcare' system that drives people into poverty.
So, show up, be radically generous, it is something we humans really
understand.
When you read each story in each campaign, pause and
imagine who that person is, and why they started the campaign, reach
out to them, let them know they are surrounded and seen, heard and not
alone. When we do that, we feel better and create a safer community
where we know we can show up for each other. It connects us with our
essence, we are radically generous creatures, we just got a little
lost in systems that are not designed for our wellness.
Alinkers change lives, here are a few people
GO TO CROWDFUND, WHY, HOW, START
Who is the Alinker for?
The Alinker is for people who want to stay active, regardless of mobility challenges.
To operate and use the Alinker you must have the ability to:
- walk to some degree
- flex and extend your legs
- bear weight on one leg briefly while getting on and off the Alinker
- be consciously aware of your surroundings
- be aware of your ability and limitations
What is the Alinker?
The Alinker is an exceptionally cool, three-wheeled walking bike
for humans with mobility constraints. It’s not a medical device,
it’s a lifestyle tool, designed to enable users to lead active and
socially engaged lives — at eye level.
On the Alinker, users sit upright -- at eye level with standing
companions. Weight is supported by the seat with no stress on the
lower body, while handle bars provide additional support. Feet remain
on the ground, keeping users stable and safe.
GO TO CROWDFUND, WHY, HOW, START
Together we'll make this work, in kindness and from the heart
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