A news release reports that Torrance, Calif-based company Convaid donated a new Safari Tilt wheelchair to a mother and daughter who were victims of the recent outbreak of tornadoes in the Midwest and the South. Makalla Sluman’s original chair, also a Safari Tilt wheelchair, protected her during the tornado, mother Phyllis Sluman says, “I was holding on to her when she was in her chair and she got ripped out of my arms. When she fell the wheelchair prevented her from suffering a head injury and protected her during the tornado,” Sluman explains. 

Following the tornado, Sluman’s daughter, who has cerebral palsy (CP), suffered a hip injury, a broken femur, and the loss of her chair, which was damaged beyond repair.  “When we heard about Phyllis and her daughter, we knew we wanted to help her with her situation,” Chris Braun, Convaid president, says. 

Sluman emphasizes the chair’s importance to her daughter and the functionality it offers her, “The chair’s tilt enables my daughter to sit up, do her work, eat, she can do pretty much anything on the chair. It’s her life,” Sluman says. The Safari wheelchair is designed to provide users with an extended range of tilt for feeding, stabilizing and comfort, adjustable recline, and a flat planar seat for solid support.

Braun also acknowledges the key role that functional mobility plays in a child’s life, “We know how important a wheelchair can be for a child with disabilities and we wanted to replace Makalla’s chair as soon as possible to help her with her recovery,” Braun adds.

To donate to the American Red Cross’ Kentucky and Southern Indiana Disaster Relief Fund, click here.

For more information about Convaid, visit http://www.convaid.com

Source: Convaid