Before his accident, Bill Winchester was an avid snowmobiler, skier, fisherman, hiker, dirt biker and cyclist. “My lifestyle was very active, busy and full of work,” said Winchester. “At the time, I was an insurance agent and professional fire fighter and constantly on the move.” Everything changed in September 2013 when Winchester was training for a race on his bicycle. As he came around a blind corner, he struck a truck that was illegally parked in the road. “My spinal cord was ruptured and cut and I was immediately paralyzed from the arm pits down,” said Winchester. “I spent two weeks in an ICU in Reno and was then sent to Craig Hospital in Colorado where I spent another two months in an intense physical therapy rehabilitation facility.”
Upon returning home, Winchester’s life completely changed and he had to quickly learn to navigate it in a wheelchair. “When I was originally injured I was in a two floor home. Once I was injured I never went back,” said Winchester. “We ended up living in a one level rental until our new home was modified.”
As an able bodied person it can be easy to take for granted full mobility and independence. “Most people don’t realize how limited you are in a wheelchair,” stated Winchester. “My overall reach span is at the most 5 feet; the dishwasher, refrigerator, pantry cupboards, pantry, glasses, pots and pans, most are not realistically available to those in a wheelchair.” The revisions that were made to his house attempt to remedy some of these challenges. These include a ramp from his back door to the yard and tile flooring throughout the interior. “Moving on carpet is murder in a wheelchair.”
Although he was able to modify his home and work situation, Winchester’s injury limited how he functioned and what he was able to do on a daily basis. He really needed a better way to get around. Then about a year and half after his accident, Winchester learned about a standup mobile wheelchair that uses a linear electric lift and is remote and joystick controlled. “My dad was searching online and found Matia Mobility and the TEK RMD. He somehow got in touch with the owner, Steven Boal, and asked how we could get one.” This device could help Winchester sit, stand and move around on his own.
Unfortunately, since its release in 2012 through 2015 it was only available in Europe. However, Boal had been going through the FDA process to get it approved for the United States. “Steven told me he needed a sponsor to get FDA approval in the United States, so I gladly volunteered to be the patient sponsor,” said Winchester.
Upon FDA approval, the new device was assembled and ready for a test run. Said Winchester, “As I got into it for the first time, my entire perspective changed.” He realized it could help him do more things.
With the device Winchester was able to return to some of his prior activities; like going for a stroll, to a bar-b-que, to his backyard or even just grabbing an item from the top of the pantry.
He also enjoys the holidays more as the device allows him to be eye to eye with friends and family. “Plus, my parents are elderly so it’s easier for them to hug me standing up versus having to bend over. The interactions between each other, especially loved ones, is just so much easier.”
Additionally, standing is exceptionally important for someone that is wheelchair bound. “With my firefighter background the medical side is important to me,” said Winchester. “Your body is designed to be vertical so the heart can smoothly pump the blood through the system. If a person spends their life in a wheelchair, their heart has to work harder because everything settles in their legs.” Additionally, standing “helps your digestion, bladder, bowels, bone density and circulation.” It improves the overall longevity of life.
For Winchester, the upright wheelchair has become his primary means of standing and he uses it multiple times a week. “It helps to increase my endorphins which makes me feel good and thus increases my self-confidence. I wish anyone that is wheelchair bound would get to use one of these.”
Fortunately, with Matia Mobility now headquartered in Salt Lake City, access to the unit is easier for those in the country. Unfortunately, the stand up wheelchair is still quite cost prohibitive.
“The hardest part of this business is the fact that we can’t give this to every patient that needs it,” said Boal. “However, we do everything we can to get it to as many people as possible.”
The device is now covered by insurance and the VA.
Images courtesy of Matia Mobility.
