I don't know how many people travel on a regular basis with their Wheel Chairs but I would like to discuss and learn from others how to cope and deal with wheel chairs and the stupid people who load and unload them off airplanes.
We left the Shriners Hospital on May 8th. We were so excited to get home right away as Matt had his awards ceremony as soon as we landed we needed to rush to get back home about an hour Drive and we would make it no problem. They plane had some issues they had to fix but we still had time I made sure we had leway to get back even if there was a little delay. Great tail wind in flight a bit bumpy ride but we got into Orlando and waited for the entire plane to empty for them to bring in that neat little bondage chair to get Matt off the airplane. I went out ahead of Matt as they strapped him in to get his chair
from the crew to get him in it. They were all gathered around the door where they bring the chair in. I went over and they were trying to push it through a door that it would not fit through I couldn't see the chair at this point and "YELLED" Stop.. you have to take the wheels off... as I got past the crew I saw it...."IT WAS SMASHED" the whole back of his chair crushed the frame twisted and those 7K power assist wheels bent. my gut twisted and I let loose on the guys. One proceeded to run down the stairs out onto the tar-matt to avoid me choking him. It was like having Matthew's legs taken away a second time.
If Matt was of normal size this wouldn't be so serious as loaner chairs you can get them till yours is repaired. But Matt is 6' 5inches tall and 226lbs with size 15 feet that don't stay on regular foot plates. The airlines are paying for the chair to be replaced. They got us a loaner chair that is only good for getting in and out of the bathroom and to get him 3 hours from here to our vendor on Monday to see what they can do to help in this situation and get his chair reordered.
My question is should you not travel with your own chair? Do people have back up chairs at home? Chairs take a long time to make, you can't sit in bed for weeks on end waiting for your mobility equipment.
or is that what you just end up having to do?
I am frazzled here on Mothers Day...
Matts Mom!
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Wheel Chair Dismemberment
- By angelbrd67
- Posted May 10, 2009 at 11:28 am · 5 replies
- In Living your life
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- By DianaJ
- Posted May 11, 2009 at 6:41 am
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It is outrageous to have your custom made chair carelessly destroyed by people who obviously have no concept of how very critical it is to one who needs it every day to move about. How much simpler and better it would have been for one of the smart ones (if any) to come to you to ask how to manage the chair and get it through the door properly without smashing it! The wheels come off for a reason, though none of those careless, heartless people seemed to grasp that concept.
I would be afraid to entrust anything of value to airline employees... but you need your chair and cannot use a loaner when Matt is so tall and does not fit in anything made for the average person. I am 6'2" myself, and was thankfully fitted properly into a quality chair when I was newly injured. In time, I did get another chair, and I kept the older one in good repair for a back-up, so eventually, Matt may have a secondary chair. That would be good for times his chair needs repairs or possibly you do travel again.
I know we can all learn from your unfortunate experience and thank you for sharing your story with us---It may keep another of us from having the same experience.
I know my daughter's baby stroller has been damaged and that I would not entrust anything of value to these simple workers... You had little choice under the circumstances, but it would be nice to have some extra compensation and a formal apology for the anguish and pain these people have caused you and your son. This situation demands attention and care to create a need within the industry for better handling of our special equipment!
Try to educate or prepare some simple instructions for the people who will manipulate Matt's equipment ahead of time. Maybe there is a way to have more control over the situation. Perhaps the one who handles his chair would be able to contact you (if they pay attention and read English), via a note or a cell phone number with specific instructions for one who handles that item. Can you turn your phone on while on the plane, after landing?
The airline is ultimately responsible for the mishandling of items by their employees, so forcing them to pay for a new chair might do some good, hopefully, in promoting more careful treatment of our precious "cargo" in the future. The people who work for the airline need to be trained to take proper care of our wheelchairs so we leave with our "legs", our minds, and our spirits intact!
I feel I know you two a bit from your posts, and your son is an amazing young man. Your story has inspired others as well, I am sure. Matt's determination and spirit give hope to those of us who struggle, though no matter how well Matt copes, he must sometimes have moments when he is less positive about his situation. I know that Matt's challenges are yours as well, and as the mother of a head-injured daughter, know for myself that it has been more difficult to deal with the results of her injury than with my own paraplegia and pain.
Your Mother's Day was yet another reminder to you that no matter how life goes, YOU are Matt's mother. You are lucky to have him and he is very lucky to have you! Being a Mother is not an easy task for anyone, even under the best of circumstances. You take being a Mom to the ultimate level. You are always there for your son and as a team, you are AWESOME! I believe that you and your attitude during this difficult time of adjustment and change are the reason you have such a wonderful son. Take extra special care of yourself and each other!
Best Wishes!
Diana J. San Jose, CA
- By angelbrd67
- Posted May 11, 2009 at 5:27 pm
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Thank You,... brought tears to my eyes and a smile.....Well there is a light I think its a light at the end of this tunnel. We drove 3 hours to Jacksonville, the airlines will cover the cost of travel. We showed them the chair and they just happened to have a chair just like his bran new to borrow until his is replaced. He doesn't have his power assist wheels but that is ok They were more just for campus life getting to class fast...Now he at least has a way to get around independantly. The Airlines called me and again have been kissing toosh.... I wish there was some way to get this story out publicly on the news posted in airports to be part of their training so more care is taken with people's wheel chairs. I am the wife of an aircraft electrician, I know the risks of in flight damages but this was not that it was carelessness.
I think just punnishment is to allow me to super glue their feet to their asses and make them remain that way until the chair is fixed. Get a first hand taste of what it is like to NOT be able to move.
We got our appointment today for his KFO's.. Leg braces.. looking forward to that and getting rid of his bladder stones on thursday... very busy week for us.
Any way thank you again~~~!!!!!!!
- By horsestail
- Posted June 3, 2009 at 1:10 pm
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Angel, Matt's mom, I was just reading about your horrible experience. Some of the airline porters/employees can be so thoughtless. They don't realize how important our equipment is to us. I was gone to England for 16 days on my own with just my walker with a seat as I can walk some, but can't use a manual wheelchair and my power chair would cause too much transportation issues. Going was okay other than the fact that the shuttle guy made me miss my connecting flight in Atlanta and I was left on my own to make other arrangements. That was nothing compared to my ordeal returning. It started with the company that I had hired to take me to the airport. I was told I would be picked up between 2 and 2:30 am, but instead it ended up being 3 am. I was then taken part of the way to meet another bus that turned out to be a tour bus. I was dropped off with my luggage out a bit from the building. The driver took off and I had no way of getting any help nor did I know where I was, so I struggled to follow the others to the elevator. When I made it up the elevator I had a choice of either the escalator or two long ramps. I was lucky as about 2/3 of the way up the first ramp a elderly woman assisted me and got me to a help phone. My legs were ready to collapse and I was in the wrong terminal. I was in the south and needed the north. It would even get worse after I was wheeled to the north terminal and had checked in. The porter refused to let me take my walker with me and told me it would meet me at the plane in Atlanta. What I didn't know was I was going to be taking to an area to wait to be taken to the gate, which I was told would be at 8 am. My plane had been delayed an hour, so I would have two hours. Eight came and went and I couldn't find out anything about when I would go. At 8:30 I had to have someone take me to the toilet. It had been since 1:30 and I know I needed to go, but without my walker I could not go anywhere without help. I didn't have anything to drink, but luckily I had a snack bar as I had had no breakfast and couldn't go get anything. It had to be after 9 am when they started loaded the carts for my flight as I heard flight 811 mentioned. There must have been 6-8 of us and these gal drivers were so good to us and helped me with my bags. I was so glad to be on the flight and don't even remember taking off. I had been up for for two days and needed a nap. Towards the end of the flight my feet started to swell, which was annoying, but figured it would not be a problem as I just had a short flight home once I got to Atlanta.
The nightmare started again. My walker did not meet me and I had to wait for a chair not that I could have done all that walking. I had to wait to go through the pass port area and was blessed with another good Samaritan who kept moving me up in line behind his mom. After this I ended up sitting with many others for over 1 1/2 hours for someone to take me to the next area where I had to collect my luggage and check it back in for my next flight. I had already missed my original flight due to the delay of the plane and with the sitting in security and then after my luggage checked back in I missed the next flight and barely made it for the one after that. Never again will I fly internationally from Atlanta, GA.
I did read somewhere that you should tag chair with instructions, but not sure they would read it. www.unitedspinal.org has good info on traveling with a disability.
My aunt who just passed away and part of the reason for my trip to England was in a wheelchair and traveled. I know sometimes her chair was roughly handled. She was in her chair for 60 years (16 to 76 yrs). She was & is my inspiration.
- By angelbrd67
- Posted June 3, 2009 at 4:56 pm
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I am so sorry about your experience it has made us not want to travel again. But unfortunately we will have to in November. We did Tag our chair with specific instructions on how to handle it and how not to stack anything on it or lean anything agaist the power assist wheels so they didn't turn on and the chair try to take off. That steel is tough and it can take a lot so what ever they did to this was nuts. The back was crushed the metal twisted and the frame itstelf was totally twisted. So either a fork lift got it or a palet was dropped on it. They told us it would have taken an extream force to crush this the way it did. I want to find a back up chair. One that folds but one he can get around in with comfort for when we have to go out of town. We get leg braces next week so hopefully with practice he will be able to use those for travel down the road and have wheel chairs ready for us for the long hauls through the airport. Or God will give us a Miracle and he will walk again on his own...(Injury is at week 16 since accident) We are not giving up hope!
- By pdecrease
- Posted July 10, 2009 at 7:20 am
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When we flew we lucked out because they put Nick's chair onboard in a front compartment. It didn't have to go "under" the plane. You can request the chair be loaded on-board, but they only do it if they have room. Always ask to to that first! Hearing horrible stories, I think we just might get a loaner next time to be on the safe side (with extra insurance). I hope your son's new chair gets replaced quickly!
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