We are thoroughly looking forward to engaging with our son and taking family walks. Frank is confident that the Alinker will help him in walking while taking our son to the zoo as well as participate in a charitable walk in the future (He has hopes of doing a 5k), please read our story to help him accomplish this goal along with so many others.
My name is Erin Santa Maria. I met my husband and father to our son in 2013. My Dad had just died the previous year, I had just moved back home to Tennessee, and I decided to try a dating website. After many failed dates, I finally met Frank Santa Maria. He had this look of indifference and sorrow in his eyes. He self diagnosed himself with Multiple Sclerosis in 2008 and was too scared to see a doctor. By 2011 he had to be carried out of a haunted house by his friends when he could no longer walk. After that he finally went to a neurologist who tested and confirmed that Frank had Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis. I decided to message him and we hit it off. Frank had just recovered from a pretty bad MS relapse where he lost 70% of the vision in his left eye and was struggling to get around. We were two very broken souls who found each other in the dark so to speak. We went on a very successful date on 04/04/2013 and a year later exact to the date we were married! In May of 2014 I was told that I would never have children. Frank continued to love and support me no matter what. In September 2015 Frank, my mother and myself drove to Kansas. Frank wanted to meet my late father's parents since he never got to meet my father. That week in Kansas, I told my mother that if God ever blessed Frank and me with a baby and it was a boy we wanted to name him after my father. My mom was overwhelmed with emotion. Little did we know I conceived our son John Edwin Santa Maria that very weekend!
In mid October 2015 Frank was just finishing up his last steroid infusion for a MS relapse the day we found out I was pregnant. God works in mysterious ways... Frank also found out around that same time that he was positive for the JC Virus in his brain. The current treatment Frank was on could activate the JC Virus in his brain and ultimately end in death. So, at the beginning of my pregnancy with our miracle baby Frank decided to discontinue with his MS treatment because his antibodies for the JC Virus were rising. Now he is on an effective mono-chemotherapy treatment for his Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis. However, due to his vertigo, foot-drop, and abnormal gait it's becoming more and more difficult to keep up with our now 3 year old son.
We met a very nice lady at a children's park who was walking with an Alinker. Frank and the nice lady exchanged stories and he was fascinated with what he was seeing...a device effectively helping with personal mobility! The thought was so exciting. Ever since then we've been determined to find a way to afford an Alinker. Even though Frank is considered physically disabled, he works full-time as a successful Senior Customer Support Engineer, but even with our combined income we just cannot afford this on our own. I've always looked to him for inspiration and determination to reach my goals too. Please, if you can, help us raise the funds for an Alinker for my husband Frank! May God bless you.
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
