CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (CLARKSVILLENOW) – Emily Mills’ first vacation with her new set of wheels will be to the beach, a place she hasn’t been able to fully enjoy because her manual wheelchair couldn’t make it through the sand.
That sand will no longer be an obstacle with her new electric iBOT wheelchair, which was provided to her through the American Mobility Project.
Emily, 15, an upcoming sophomore at Northeast High, was just 5 years old when her aunt’s car was hit head-on by a drunken driver. Emily was a passenger in the back seat and sustained several critical injuries, including a paralyzing spinal fracture. She’s been a paraplegic and bound to a wheelchair since kindergarten.
The iBOT wheelchair can go up and down stairs, traverse rough terrain, go over curbs and easily maneuver on sandy beaches. The iBOT also has the ability to stand up, balance on two wheels and bring the user to a sitting height of near 6 feet.
Emily, her mom Stephanie Watson and stepdad Jake Watson traveled to Manchester, New Hampshire, on July 26 to be fitted and trained for the iBOT wheelchair.
They visited the Mobius Mobility, makers of the iBOT, for training, which can take a bit less or more time depending on specific needs. They will return on Wednesday, July 29.
“I’m so excited, and a bit emotional, for Emily to have the iBOT chair,” said Stephanie Watson, her mother.
“Emily has not been able to go in the sand, gravel or simply in our own front yard due to the restrictions of her manual wheelchair. With the iBOT, we’re able to go to the beach, enjoy family hikes at Dunbar Cave and simply able to enjoy playing ball with our dog in the back yard. Emily will be able to go up and down stairs and we’re able to do things we never thought we’d be able to do again. … I can’t wait to have Emily’s iBOT chair home where she can feel like a ‘normal’ teenage girl who can do simple things on her own without her mom’s help.”
Emily also said she is looking forward to her grandmother teaching her to cook and being able to reach the stove, counter tops and cabinets.
“It’s both fun and scary,” Emily said. “I am very glad I now have this chair.”
About AMP
The American Mobility Project was founded in the spring of 2019 by Mari and Gary Linfoot and Bob Hyde. The foundation’s purpose is to provide mobility and adaptive equipment and resources to those living with disabilities.
Gary Linfoot was injured in a helicopter crash while serving in the U.S. Army in Iraq in 2008 and has been the recipient of state-of- the- art mobility equipment which has enhanced his independence.
To learn more about AMP, visit: www.americanmobilityproject.org/
To see a demonstration of the iBOT, go to https://mobiusmobility.com/user-stories/ and click “Meet Gary.”
