My friend M had to have her left leg amputated to the knee several years ago. I did not know her when still had full mobility. M has managed to live a reasonably normal and independent life for over a decade now. She uses a prosthetic leg and a walking stick to get around but is deeply resistant to the idea of a wheel-chair. That rejection has impeded her mobility a great deal. If a trip involves a wheel-chair she refuses to make it. I understand the point of pride there and she desire for self-reliance and it has served her well all these years.
Yet, when I read this story about an all-terrain wheel-chair, I can't stop myself from asking M if she may consider something like this even if only on occasion - to be able to experience the outdoors she loves so much in a way that she has not been able to for a while. The answer is a tentative maybe but I know her heart is not in it. She used to be a dancer back when she was much younger. For a person who's life meaning centered around being able use their legs as their instrument of expression and communication with the world, there might be no path for any wheel-chair to restore balance they once had.
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