Meet Seleste
Powered Wheelchair
Seleste Naqvi, 19, has Spina Bifida – meaning ‘split spine’ in Latin – a congenital condition in which the spine and spinal cord do not fully develop in the womb, significantly affecting her mobility.
After undergoing multiple surgeries, Seleste had to begin using a wheelchair full-time by the age of ten.
Her mum Sarah Naqvi explains:
“Seleste was born with Spina Bifida and tried really hard when she was younger to persist with walking, but she was often in a lot of pain and as she got older and hormones kicked in, she simply couldn’t walk anymore. It was just too painful for her.”
As Seleste got older, propelling herself in a manual wheelchair became increasingly exhausting, particularly around her college campus, which has steep and uneven terrain. The family invested in a folding electric wheelchair, but quickly realised it was not suitable.
Sarah continues:
“The folding chair was only suitable on very flat surfaces. It couldn’t cope with dropped kerbs or poor paving, so Seleste was reliant on having me or a carer with her.”
Seleste was keen to be more independent but sadly did not meet the eligibility criteria for a powered wheelchair through the NHS. Her family reached out to Children Today and several other charities, who were able to work together to fund a life-changing powered wheelchair.
Seleste comments:
“I love this chair – it feels safe, and I love that I can go out on my own now. I need to shift my position frequently to get comfortable, and it’s so much easier as the chair has a tilt function that I can control myself. I can also get through doorways more easily because I have better control. It’s given me so much more freedom.”
Sarah adds:
“It’s little things like being able to hop on the bus independently and go into town. Her previous chair didn’t have brakes, so she’d have to cling on for dear life, to stop herself sliding around if she was alone. It wasn’t safe, and it affected her confidence.
“Now I have peace of mind that Seleste is safe and can do more of the things that typical teenage girls want to do!”
Will you help us help more young people, like Seleste, find the freedom and independence they desereve?
