Michael came to us with a challenge that was significantly affecting his lifestyle. Michael had cerebral ischemia (a stroke) which resulted in limited movement in his left arm. He was using a walking stick to aid his mobility around the home and while out and about.
The challenge with using a walking stick was it was causing instability and a fear of falling, which often meant Michael would stay home.
What he desperately wanted was the ability to move around independently with ease and safety having the option to rest when he is fatigued. Michael had tried commercially available walkers but he was unable to safely hold and steer the walker using only his right arm. There were no other options for Michael.
Luckily, Michael found TADQ and we were trialling a new one-handed walker system that had been developed by our sister organisation TADACT. In collaboration with our team in Brisbane a volunteer set to work to make one for Michael. The day we delivered it to Michael, he was able to walk out into the garden and sit and listen to the birds, something he had been greatly missing.
A commercially available walker was adapted with a bar running between the existing handles that could be swung out of the way when Michael needs to rest. The cross bar was fitted with a simple locking mechanism and brake which could be easily used with one hand. Perfect!
Michael Says
“It will make walking from the house and visiting neighbours so much easier and safer and help with my balance, thank you to all the TADQ technicians, great work”.