Hello. My name is Miles Skinner. About 5 years ago I started noticing my gate, my walk, started changing, and then came the pain. I couldn't quite describe it as I mentally tried to brush it aside and tried my best to push it aside and hope that it would just correct itself and that would be that. It did not. Over the next 4 months I went to about 3 doctors appointments and was assured it was just something that was in my head. It was not.
I had tried to remain active and rejoined the local volunteer fire service and one night when I had to throw out a roll of firehose I heard internally and very much felt a painful click in my right rib area. It bloody well hurt and I knew something was more than just wrong. I made an appointment the next day with my doctor as being in a very rural location I felt too embarrassed to go up to the emergency department as I knew they were over inundated with people just showing up. When the doctor I was able to see at the time did a thorough examination of me, he immediately decided it was a medical emergency and within the next hour I was rushed by ambulance to the next big urban hospital two hours away. After several pokes and prods, CT scans, etc., I was told that my spinal cord was being crushed by my vertebra. I was informed that I needed an immediate emergency operation or I would die, I would never walk again and my life as I knew it was to be different forever. I was to expect the worse and hope for the best. I cant remember how long I cried for but I know when I thought it had stopped there were still tears streaming down my face. In an instance, my life had changed.
But I have surprised the doctors and beaten the odds. I am walking again, although only for short distances and with great difficulty and pain. However, my mobility has become very limited due to my NMO(Nuero Mylitis Optica) & my health has deteriorated, gaining over 30kg. Depression has become a real issue.
When I saw the Alinker, I felt hope for the first time in a while. I knew immediately it was the solution I have been looking for to become more active again. I would absolutely love to be one of the recipients of an Alinker and it honestly would be life changing. I have two active sons, and I try to go for walks with my boys, but they usually last about 15 minutes and sometimes I even require a car ride home. My boys love biking and they would love it as much as me for me to be out there with them. I want to get out there and make memories with my boys and once again participate in their lives and in my own in ways that aren't possible now. The Alinker gives me hope that I can become active, healthier, and be there for my boys for a long time to come.
Thank you for allowing me to share my story. I appreciate any and all support.
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
