This is Andriana’s story and this is why we are helping to fundraise for an Alinker bike. Andriana is a wife to her soulmate and rock John for 13 years and a loving outgoing energetic giving mother of two young amazing beautiful children John who is 10 and Lauren who is 7. I am writing in hopes that you will join me in helping raise funds for an Alinker bike so Andriana can get her #freedom back.
Here is her story .... the end of 2015 brought on some concerning symptoms for myself and my family and after an ER visit and Neurologist visits and many tests lots of worry and tears and hope I finally got an answer to what was going on with me. On February 1st I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. I was taken back and to this day still in disbelief to a point but I have to take it as it is and be strong and a fighter! I have to have the mind set that I have MS - MS does not have me! With this being a scary and challenging thing I decided to was best for me and my family to not sit back and worry about what might happen to me but to be proactive and change the way it will happen. Before I was diagnosed I worked out a little bit and ate healthy sometimes. After my diagnosis and reading books and blogs and social media and with the help of family and friends (thank you for being there through the many texts and tears!!). I decided to change the way that myself and my family will conquer this illness. We have decided to have a better healthier diet for all of us, to take more vitamins that are lacking in my diet and to make sure that we get at least 30 minutes of exercise in daily to stay strong. I had felt great and was pretty much symptom free for a couple years with different meds different clinical trials and I felt good until recently. Recently I had to stop working and rely on my family more than ever! I have impaired vision and daily migraines as well as my legs giving out whenever the feel like it or when I do or walk too much. I rely on them to help do almost everything around the house and drive me places. And if you know me I am not that girl that likes to ask for help with much! Recently after following many many people on Instagram who have MS I have read more and more about the Alinker bike! Is it true can I use a device to walk around with my kids and not fall flat on my face or go for a bike ride? After research and talking to friends we decided we should get one but whew the price so now my efforts are going into raising funds for the Alinker bike in hopes to get my freedom back and be able to have my life back.
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 Canadian $ (back end requirement on our side), the $2800 CAD includes the Alinker, shipping, process and campaign fees and our 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.
- 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 where we then make the donation to, paying it forward, or get the balanced paid out, the choice is the campaigner's.
- If you want to start a campaign and are outside Canada or the USA, write an email to molly@thealinker.com. We can get a shipping quote to where you live, and include that in the campaign goal.
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. Did you see how happy Selma Blair is using her Alinker? Her anxiety dropped from level 10 to 2 after she got back on her new Alinker. She is so happy and so on with this new invention, that she wants to create a fund to get people access to Alinkers. These crowdfunding campaigns are the first step to make Alinkers available for everybody. Selma and BE 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!
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
us as a person.
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.
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.
