"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step" - Lao Tzu
Hello, my name is Lindsay. I just turned forty, I have 5 fabulous kids who range from 7 all the way to 22 and an amazing, supportive partner! I'm a huge nerd, I love language jokes and watching extra cheesy sci-fi shows. I would probably read 24/7 if life allowed, I'm a summer baby (born in May) who has spent a lifetime thriving in the sunshine and whining my way through every long Alberta winter. I'm on a journey - I guess it really started forty years ago but I don't think you want to read the whole story. So here is a piece of it....
In 2019, after a couple of challenging years that included a car accident, an unnecessary hysterectomy and various emotional struggles, I found myself beginning to explore barefoot and movement-full living. Witnessing the impact that walking and spending time outdoors had on myself and my family, I felt compelled to pursue a life rich in movement. Why drive when we can walk? Why sit and watch my kids climb and swing at the park when I can join them? Adding space and time for movement in my day to day life became very important, whether it was walking to and from daycare, buying a standing/adjustable desk to accommodate all sorts of 'sitting' arrangements, going on adventure walks, climbing trees, practicing the monkey bars, sitting on the floor.....you name it.
Of course Covid came along a year or so later and flipped the world upside down. Along with many others, I found it actually allowed for a slower pace and an excuse to amp up the daily movement in our household. I continued to have plenty of common place physical challenges, but I kept moving and kept learning and kept hoping.
In the summer of 2021 I began to notice some strange 'numbness' that covered the entire right side of my body, from my neck down. It didn't really bother me, aside from being annoying. After a little while, when it didn't go away, I sought medical attention. My family doctor assumed it was stress related, but did refer me to a neurologist. That August I had my first brain and cervical spine MRI, after which I was told that I might have MS but nothing was certain. I went through a spinal tap, which was one of the most awful experiences of my lifetime! I don't think I'd wish the after effects of that procedure on my worst enemy. Results were still inconclusive. In the fall I started to experience more altered sensations and buzzing in my hips and legs. My feet started burning and I was unable to regulate my body temperature. I went for another MRI, this one for my thoracic spine. While I was waiting to hear the results of that test, I ended up going to the ER. I was suddenly unable to feel anything below my armpits and I was unable to walk unassisted as I couldn't feel the floor I was walking on and my body parts weren't doing what they were supposed to.
During that trip to the ER I was told that I did in fact have MS, the MRI was conclusive this time. I was given some pain medication and sent on my way. I had a follow up appointment scheduled in two weeks with my neurologist. In those days my symptoms stayed much the same and the pain medication did nothing except upset my stomach. Around this same time my ex-husband (father of two of my boys) was admitted to the hospital, he had a rare and aggressive type of leukemia. Three days later he passed away, he was 40, our boys were 16 and 20.
The same day that he passed away I had my follow up appointment. I woke up that morning and was unable to empty my bladder, it was the strangest sensation, I had never experienced anything like it. When my doctor saw me, hobbling into his office like an 80 year old, he was shocked by the state I was in, he didn't realize how much my condition had deteriorated. I could hardly walk on my own even with a cane, I couldn't get my boots on by myself, and now I couldn't use the bathroom! He prescribed me with prednisone pills to help my 'flare' and sent me on my way. Over the course of the next month I was suddenly unable to even walk around my house without a walker. I was so unstable, I fell in the shower and couldn't get myself up. With the use of a shower chair I could at least wash myself, except doing so took at least an hour to recover from. I couldn't drive, couldn't get into the car by myself because I couldn't lift my legs. There seemed to be no connection between my brain and my body.
Thankfully, family rallied around to support us in so many ways, I can't express the deep, deep gratitude for all of the amazing kindness that was shown to us. People I didn't even know brought us meals and gave us gift cards and prayed and loved on us. It was the most intense Christmas I've ever experienced.
Over the next few months things slowly improved, or at least they changed and are still changing. I've been so fortunate to get connected with amazing rehabilitation specialists, mental health supports, massage therapist, acupuncturist, recovery groups, MS support groups - it's incredible every day to see the community that I have gotten to be a part of on this journey. My mobility has greatly improved, I no longer need a walker. I still use a shower chair, I use walking sticks when I'm out and about (I was asked one day if I was my daughter's grandma - OY!). I no longer opt to walk instead of drive, since that requires strength I don't have tremendous amounts of energy that take away from all the other responsibilities in life. I no longer go on adventure walks, since walking to and from school and grocery shopping is about all I can manage. If I'm lucky enough to make it to the park with my kids, I'm definitely sitting and watching. Climbing trees and doing the monkey bars are things of the past, I'm afraid. I'm in a lot of pain and my body parts don't work the way they're supposed to, I haven't worked since December 2021. It seems that this disease and it's treatment is all trial and error, let's spin the wheel and see which drug we'll match up with which symptom and which patient will respond to which drug and which practitioner could possibly help and which diet is best for who and which exercise and which stretch and which job and and and and and and.....
At the end of the day, I'm incredibly grateful to be where I am. When I look back at 2019 me, it's hard not to be sad. When I look back at 2021 me, it's impossible not to jump for joy (or maybe hop for joy). And I suppose that's what brings me here, seeking out this new community to engage in my journey. I believe that this strange, wonderful bike will give me my feet back, my movement and my hope. It's not easy to ask for help, to be vulnerable and share your life with strangers. But it's also not easy to be isolated, to hide from reality and to cut yourself off from the world. I choose to put myself out there, I choose to ask for help, to let you all into my world and to share in my journey. Because......the journey of a thousand miles truly does begin with one step.
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
