INNOVATION FOR INDEPENDENCE
ISSUE 125 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 £6.95
Special wheelchair will help student achieve her dream A STUDENT from the University of East Anglia who has a genetic condition affecting her mobility is fundraising for a specialist wheelchair, so she can achieve her dream of working in the environmental sector.
for the environment, helping her to gain professional fieldwork skills and the confidence to apply for environmental consultancy jobs, which often involve site visits.
Gemma Bailey-Smith from Harlington, Bedfordshire was diagnosed in November with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a connective tissue disorder causing spasms and dislocations of her joints, affecting her mobility.
“I recently undertook an internship as an environmental advisor which cemented my career aims and this month I’m starting a part-time research position working on a Highways England project.”
“I’ve lost my former active self and I now suffer daily with chronic pain and fatigue,” said Gemma. “But I’m determined not to let my condition hold me back in life, especially in my academic studies and career. “Coming to terms with having to use a wheelchair at the age of 21 has been really difficult, especially as I was previously really active and sporty. “I used to love hiking holidays, I volunteered in Borneo, was an avid gymnast, and even competed with the university stunt cheer team, UEA Angels.” The student, who is completing a Masters in Environmental Assessment and Management, needs £12,000 for an all-terrain electric wheelchair which will allow her to collect data while on a fieldwork trip to Devon in April. She will also be able to pursue her passion
The specialist wheelchair will give Gemma power and stability while tackling environments such as woods, beaches and fields, prevent muscle wastage, reduce inflammation to her ribs caused when she uses crutches, and limit long-term damage to her joints. She continued: “I’ll be able to go on walks with my family and join my friends on strolls round the UEA broad, which I’ve been missing out on for the last four years I’ve been at University.” Other students from UEA have been helping Gemma with her fundraising and the UEA Students’ Union Environmental Sciences Society recently held a quiz for students and staff. “Having the support from other students at this challenging time has been overwhelming,” she added. “It feels like everyone is rooting for me and wants me to succeed in my fundraising goals.”
The UK is set to train many more highly-skilled prosthetists and orthotists after the announcement of a global centre of excellence at the University of Salford. Worldwide demand for artificial limbs, braces, footwear and other devices which help people recover from injury is mushrooming, but the people who make, fit and monitor prosthetics require a rare combination of clinical, medical and engineering skills. The new centre is set to train 60 individuals to doctoral level over the next four years, and coordinate new Masters courses and research to address the skills gap at home and abroad, particularly in low and middleincome countries such as Cambodia, Uganda and Jordan. The £11m project, funded by the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council, unites 27 industry and clinical partners.