Meharoona Ghani hasn't added a story.
Hello my name is Meharoona. I was born and raised near the Rocky Mountains of Golden, British Columbia in Canada. At age eight I climbed a hill, sat surrounded by evergreen trees, wrote my first poem and realized the dream to write books. Today, I’m a published writer working on my book - an autobiographical journey of identity and belonging. Part of this book is about my journey with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), which I’ve had for 17 years. You can learn more about me in the Pecha Kucha cover video of this campaign OR in the following URL about the work I did as a Community Engagement & Diversity Specialist to educate people in various sectors about diversity, inclusion and invisible ability challenges: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiaNbd-RLvw&feature=youtu.be
I was lucky to meet BE (Barbara) Alink a few years back in Vancouver where I lived at the time. BE was inspired by my poetry and I was inspired by BE's design and invention of the Alinker. The Alinker is a mobility device – a type of bike – that helps people reclaim their freedom and independence regardless of mobility challenges. This unique “walking-bike” makes it possible for a person to stay active, socially connected, and emotionally engaged in the community in a fun way. The Alinker allows a person to walk (or be stationary) while sitting on the bike and it allows one to be at eye level with others who are either walking or standing beside the person. (You can learn more about the Alinker in BE's TedX Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtBK3MgZeqo )
Years ago I didn’t think I would need an Alinker. Fast forward to December 2018, a time of great upheaval in my family’s life. My father had a heart attack. When he came home from the hospital I had put supports in place to assist him. He and I made a deal. He didn’t like using the walker. I have resisted using any mobility aids, too. I told him, if he used the walker to do his exercises, then I would do the exercises I needed to do to overcome MS. He did more walking rounds than I did and eventually no longer needed the walker!
Sadly, by January 2019, my dad had passed away. Along with the grief and stress, my body took a hit. I had an MS relapse. An MRI revealed more lesions on my brain. For me (each person with MS can be different), an MS relapse means (to name a few symptoms) I’m no longer able to take long walks of five blocks let alone three blocks or stand more than 15 minutes. My hands are slower so writing/typing takes time. My legs feel heavier, so I walk slower. A limp in one of my legs is now noticeable (known as foot drop) after I walk or stand in one spot too long. I sold my pedal bike because I feared falling over – I had to put my feet down frequently in order to balance on it. As for my career, at the moment I'm on a medical leave from work.
I miss being outdoors to listen to birds or just be in silence surrounded by trees, or rustlings of grass and leaves. I miss the work I love where I educated others about diversity, inclusion and invisible ability challenges. I miss my greatest passion - to finish writing my book. Most of all I miss my dad. The grief hit me a lot – a combination of the loss of my dad and all the losses/fears/anger associated with ability challenges – left me feeling lost.
BUT! WAIT! I still refuse to give up! I am NOT a victim of MS nor do I want people to feel sorry for me. I have accepted MS for many years. YES! It’s time now to accept the Divine blessings and circumstances I have been given as a result of MS and to be grateful that the Divine has given me choices too. I DO still have dreams: one being, with your support, to get the Alinker. The Alinker can get me active again. It can get me close to nature again. It can help me feel independent and free again. It can help me to continue to educate others about people with ability challenges. It cannot bring back my dad, but, like him, it can bring back his spirit of courage, bravery and stubbornness that kept him and me moving when faced with challenges. My other dreams: overcome and be cured of MS, finish writing my book and get it published!
I believe in truth, generosity, empowerment, and working together. Given very tight finances at the moment, I’m reaching out to you to please consider contributing to my campaign and share my campaign with your networks. Any amount will help. Please help me reach my goal of $2,200 (USD).
I live by design, not by diagnosis. I am an MS Warrior.
My dad’s name is Abdul Ghani and it means “servant of God”.
My name means “light of the moon”. I still believe in unicorns.
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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