Hello, My name is Doug Burket.
On January 10th 2018 my world was the same as the majority of Americans. I had a Job I loved. I had been an RN for 21 years, 15 years in the Emergency Department and had transferred to the Operating room 4 years prior. I consider myself blessed because I had a job that I truly enjoyed. I had been a Flight Nurse with an air medical rescue helicopter prior and was still an active paramedic. So to me my life was complete. Loving wife, nice house,nice cars& vacations every year. I enjoyed riding motorcycles, walks with my 2 dogs. Okay 1 dog ( My English Bulldog only goes about 100 feet before napping). My wife likes festivals so I enjoyed going along with her.When people would say " How are you doing?" my reply was always " I got up, got dressed and was able to get here , so it's a good day" . I never realized how meaningful my response was going to be.
On January 11 2018 @ 5:50 am my world changed forever. While watching TV I developed an unexplainable chest pain. Convinced I was having a heart attack my wife took me to the hospital for treatment. What happened over the next ten hours is something more like a scene in a horror movie. The Heart attack was ruled out as the problem but they wanted to keep me over night. We arrived to my hospital bed and as I attempted to walk in my legs were like rubber. My nurse says " Are you drunk" and laughed. After reaching the bed she said what's wrong with your legs? We both decided it was due to the amount of medications for my chest pain. As the day went on my legs got worse and I was unable to urinate. Okay at this point anyone would panic, I can explain anything!!. So we put in a catheter and my bladder was FULL but this is due to the "medication". A few hours later I went to reach for something and there it was, my right arm weighed a ton and didn't want to move. Now it's time to sound the alarm,blow the horns, I'm Worried. By the time 10 hours had passed I was a quadriplegic. Yep, 6 am coffee and 4 pm nothing from the neck down without a cause.
After much testing I was diagnosed with a nasty little thing called Transverse Myelitis it falls into the rare neurological diseases. It is rare but there are more cases than people realize. Mine was caused by an unknown virus which caused an autoimmune response that targeted my Cervical and Thoracic area of the spinal cord. I now am considered fully disabled but functional. It has left me with a walking disturbance, right hand and left arm issues. I use a cane and a rollator. If your not familiar with a rollator it's basically a walker with small wheels on the front. The Alinker Bike provides something not previously provided. I cannot pedal a bicycle nor walk briskly which leaves me trailing behind others. Even though friends and relatives say it's not a bother or they don't mind walking slower it is. For me causing others to alter their lifestyle causes me to be a burden. This bike lessens that burden buy allowing people with such as myself the capability of moving at at least an average pace.
. The money raised for the Alinker Bike will give me greater mobility. The family and friends are the most affected by these illness. Eliminating your constant dependency for someone to push your wheel chair, wait on you while walking or haul your electric chair. Anything that provides some type of independence or lack is a blessing. I think this bike is it. I am sure I won't be doing a marathon but maybe a nice walk would be nice.
Sincerest Thanks,
Doug
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
