It’s awful to be 12 years old with suddenly no way to get around. Nearly as awful as being that 12-year-old’s parents!
Lilli went to the mountain February 2nd and broke both her legs snowboarding. Yes, both. Her legs were cast above the knee, and she was summarily discharged home… with no medical equipment!
No wheelchair.
No way to shower (or access the bathroom).
No way to attend school.
No way for both parents to go to work!
Luckily Lilli’s mom, Leigh, knew to reach out to our durable medical reuse program. Program Director Jen Baker soon contacted all of our REquipment reuse sites and located…
A tub transfer seat for bathing.
An elevated toilet seat.
And a wheelchair sized for Lilli!
We delivered the equipment last Wednesday. Lilli is expected back at school, fully mobile, today. Needless to say, everyone is relieved.
Especially Lilli!
Do you need refurbished durable medical equipment? Email us at info@dmereuse.org or call 1 800 261 9841.
If you have durable medical equipment or funds you’d like to donate to REquipment, learn how at our home page.
Throughout the month of January, REquipment went head-to-head with Catie’s Closet for a $1,000 prize sponsored by MillTown Plumbing, a local business that routinely nominates do-gooder organizations like ours to compete via votes cast at their website. Success hinges on the passion of each nonprofit’s community and social media prowess. We are so proud of all of you for engaging in this fun this month, and propelling us to an exciting nail-biting finish! A sample of the messages we received on our Facebook page:
Erin Mosca: I’ve been voting every day. Thank you for all you do!
Nicole Thebeau: REquipment, I shared and let everyone know why. Thanks for your help when I needed it most.
Bebe Heasley Packard: Just voted! What you do is awesome. Sure wish we had this program where I live!
Joyce Hayman-Devolve: Done… looking good for REquipment. Fingers and toes crossed. Shared
Dianne Young: Did you win?
Dianne and all who asked: YES!
The final tally was:
6,926 REquipment
5,579 Catie’s Closet
If you’re reading this, likely you were nudged daily to vote by me or another of our dedicated staff or by a friend posting online because we were, well, a tad relentless (don’t worry, it’s over now). Every call I made I asked, “Did you vote today?” Even my mother, who is 94, voted every day on her iPad and cell phone. The first couple of days she called to say she lost the link but then she got the hang of it and “I voted today!” became one of the first things she’d report when I’d call.
We want to extend a big warm-hearted thank you to Catie’s Closet for being such a worthy opponent. Catie’s Closet supports disadvantaged school children and clearly has a loyal passionate following. In the first week, REquipment was way out in front with 80% of votes cast. But then Catie’s Closet came roaring from behind and every day to the end was a frantic dash with each of us repeatedly nosing ahead or dropping behind (we did finally pull way ahead, however!) We would also like to thank MillTown Plumbing for supporting local non-profits through this and future competitions.
How will REquipment use this $1,000, you ask? Why, for new batteries to refurbish power wheelchairs, of course! (Our biggest funding nemesis.) 3 to 4 power chairs will become road ready for community members who need wheels!
Ordinarily, REquipment serves Massachusetts. We provide donated, refurbished durable medical equipment to individuals with disabilities statewide at no charge. When requests come from beyond Massachusetts, our policy is to make equipment available that has remained listed in our inventory for 90 days (occasionally we provide DME for national disaster relief efforts, too). This year we were delighted to see three of our wheelchairs take a very special trip: to clinics for children in Port Au Prince, Haiti.
The partnership began in 2017 when we were contacted by Mary Jo Wagner, an OT who has worked for decades in Massachusetts helping to fit individuals with appropriate durable medical equipment. Mary Jo was familiar with our REquipment program and called to ask if she could request devices from our inventory on behalf of specific children in Haiti who needed it. She explained that twice a year, she and three colleagues visit two residential programs, one having a school, for children with disabilities. Their volunteer effort–Wheelchair Works for Haiti–provides donated wheelchairs, specialized seating, and their considerable expertise with fitting and positioning. Haiti has never fully recovered from an earthquake eight years ago and has been hit hard by tropical storms since. Many of the students attending these programs have lost their parents.
Children living in these residences often lack basic or properly fitting wheelchairs and other durable medical equipment. In 2017 we were able to provide two wheelchairs. This year REquipment helped three children with wheelchairs appropriate in size and features for their unique needs. We also contributed to shipping expenses using funds from our Christopher and Dana Reeve Quality of Life grant.
Below is the letter of thanks we received from Mary Jo Wagner and her colleague Merry Kaulbach. As you can see from the children’s smiles, these chairs are greatly appreciated. Thank you, Mary Jo and Merry, for this opportunity to make a difference in the lives of these Haitian children. And thank you to our donors for helping us develop an inventory that can reach beyond our state’s borders!
Dear REquipment Program,
We would like to thank you for your support of our Haiti wheelchair clinics with the donation of wheelchairs.
Your donated equipment was packed and shipped to Haiti in time for our arrival November 12, 2018. The wheelchair clinics took place in two locations in Port Au Prince: Zanmi Beni and St Vincent’s Center. Luckily for us, they are less than a ½ mile apart. We serviced over 25 people this trip.
All but one child already had a wheelchair. However, none fit properly because their wheelchairs were not designed for children with cerebral palsy. With the appropriate donated wheelchairs, we customized the seating systems to accommodate their dimensions, body shape, and motor skills. Now Tommy has a wheelchair that fits his body.
Tommy
Naphtalie will be receiving art lessons on Zanmi Beni campus with better body support to use her hands.
Naphtalie
Doreston’s wheelchair tilts back with a headrest and has a custom back to hold his trunk in alignment. He now sits up straight! He was able to attend the International Disability Day Celebration on St. Vincent’s Campus.
Doreston before (left) and after (right) our wheelchair clinic.
Please feel free to contact us to offer support, answer questions, make connections, etc.
We also accept fabric donations for a dressmaker in Haiti as well as summer clothes for children and adults. These are used as packaging!!!
My name is JoJo and I acquired a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in April of 2017. I was in a nursing home until my doctors could get me a wheelchair to use to get home. Shortly after returning home, my family and I realized that due to the impact the TBI has had on my ability to move my arms, the manual wheelchair was not going to work for me.
My family and I searched everywhere to find a program that would loan us a power chair because the insurance company told me it was too soon to apply for a new wheelchair (since I had just received my manual chair). We couldn’t find anywhere that would help and after numerous calls and emails, we were just about ready to give up.
Finally, we stumbled across a site called diligent-gray-hare.162-244-253-142.cpanel.site/, home to REquipment. On this website, we found tons of durable medical equipment that is free of charge to people in need who are in situations just like mine. The website is screenreader compatible which is amazing as I am legally blind. Also, I found I could communicate with REquipment through email which was a wonderful surprise; due to my struggles with using the phone after hearing loss caused by my TBI, I was so grateful for the option to work through email.
My family and I browsed the site and picked out the exact power chair that was my size but also suited my specific needs due to my disabilities, and applied for the power chair through the website. My power chair from REequipment was approved and delivered to me shortly after.
The power chair I received has truly changed my life. Now I have the ability to leave my house without needing someone to push me. I can not only go to doctors appointments on my own, but also grocery shopping, to the bank, and even to fun activities put on by my local community center for people with disabilities.
I am more independent and able to do things that I was not sure I’d ever be able to do on my own again after my TBI changed my life forever in April of 2017. I no longer see myself as being trapped in a wheelchair that doesn’t work for me but rather I see the limitless potential and freedom my future could hold now that I have a wheelchair that works for my needs.
I am so grateful that I found this program and it has truly changed my life. Since acquiring the power chair, REquipment has also provided me with a stander so I can improve my circulation and get upright once again. Thanks to REquipment, I am back to doing the things I love (even if it is in a different way) which is something I couldn’t even imagine happening after my TBI. Living life in a wheelchair is hard, but it has gotten so much easier now that I have what I need.
Last week I received an email from Tom Filiault, the DME Reuse Site coordinator at Stavros CIL in Amherst. The email included a picture of an elderly woman, Frances Crowe, who’d recently received a refurbished power wheelchair from REquipment, our durable medical equipment reuse program. In the photo, Crowe is beaming with Bob Blain, a Stavros delivery driver, in front of a large portrait of Sojourner Truth (the abolitionist and fugitive slave). Crowe wears a t-shirt with the slogan, “We Will Not Be Silent.”
When I read that the woman in the photo is 99 years old, I picked up the phone to call her. She radiates such warmth and determination. Here was a REquipment recipient I needed to know more about.
Ms Crowe, I learned, lives independently in the Amherst area. Prior to receiving her power chair from REquipment, she’d relied solely on a rollator-style walker to get around. It just wasn’t cutting it. Crowe has been active in peace and social justice groups her entire adult life. She has no plans to let up now.
Originally from Missouri, she’d moved to NY State in the late 1930s to attend Syracuse University where she became involved in social justice movements. During the Vietnam era, she assisted conscientious objectors, her group helping over 2,000 men apply for and receive this status for moral, ethical or religious reasons. She has received two honorary degrees, one from Smith and other from Columbia for her work to abolish nuclear weapons and war.
When I asked her about the slogan on her shirt she said, “I want people to organize, speak out and resist injustices–whatever injustices are important to them.” Currently, she is a member of Code Pink: Women for Peace, a group that works to end US-funded wars and occupations.
Crowe says her rollator works fine at home but is too slow going outside. Her physician had suggested she obtain a power wheelchair and referred her to REquipment. Now she is looking forward to the snow melting and getting downtown, over to Smith College, and to her monthly Quaker meetings.
When we discussed other types of durable medical equipment that could help with her independence, I suggested a transport wheelchair so that friends might drive her distances without the need for a lift-equipped van. She reassured me that she is savvy with our website and will take a look for what she might like to request next.
Clearly, Frances Crowe will continue to participate in her community and the activities that have always given her life so much meaning. For Crowe, age is not a barrier. REquipment is delighted to play its part.
This was a different kind of year for REquipment at Abilities Expo Boston. The Expo is an annual event with workshops and technologies on display for people with disabilities, everything from adapted play equipment and robotic technologies to the latest in mobility devices. As a reuse program, we don’t always fit in with all the cutting-edge gadgets that most people attend to see. But we’ve always had a great reception and a wonderful time explaining our services. Often we network with other programs that end up making device donations. Always we connect with attendees relieved to learn of a way to obtain backup equipment for when their primary wheelchair is in need of repair.
But as I mentioned, this year was different.
Our program is now statewide. We’ve been promoting our good works in all kinds of venues, and the result is… people know us!
Around the exposition hall, we heard:
“You run a great service.”
“We refer clients to you all the time.”
“My sister has a chair from you.”
It was a warm feeling, reflecting the hard work of our dedicated staff, partner organizations, funders, and volunteers.
I wish everyone who has ever helped us could have been at our Expo table when Lisa H rolled up to say hello.
“Your program is life-changing,” she said.
Lisa had needed a backup power chair to stay mobile when her primary chair was in the shop. She’d heard about REquipment and when we produced a bariatric Permobile, she was blown away. She never expected we’d have what she needed.
“You saved my life,” she said.
This year Abilities was also different because we turned away donations of older equipment. That’s because our equipment drives have paid off. We now have over 80 power chairs waiting to be collected and refurbished. As a result, we are all the more choosy about what we will take. If a device is older than 5 or 6 years, we are not likely to accept the donation. Last year, we refurbished and reassigned 120 power wheelchairs. This year, those 80 powerchairs waiting for collection are coming from donations accepted in just the first two months of the fiscal year!
Thank you, everyone. It’s a problem we’ve always wanted.
REquipment celebrated its 5th anniversary in fiscal year 2018 and crossed an important milestone with statewide outreach. We more than doubled device donations to the program!
In 2017, REquipment received gently-used DME from 369 individuals or entities, amounting to 453 devices. During 2018, we received 1,176 devices from 636 sources. This amounts to a 160% increase in devices donations and a 72% increase in device donors.
We have two reasons for such success. The first was a grant from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation to help us conduct 4 donations drives. These were held in North Adams and Springfield in the fall of 2017 and Worcester and Cambridge in the Spring of 2018. 150 pieces of DME were collected directly related to these events.
The benefit of these drives went far beyond what we anticipated, however, far beyond the DME we obtained from these days. Diligent outreach by our dedicated staff and volunteers informed the public of the drives, increased our overall visibility and spiked calls to our program moving forward overall. We utilized flyers, local newspaper ads, social media, radio and cable spots. As result, staff logged a 130% increase in calls compared with 2017.
Additional outreach in 2018 undoubtedly also paid off. REQ staff presented at 7 conferences, exhibited at 17 events, were guests on Cable TV shows in Pittsfield and Worcester and a Hispanic radio program in Lawrence. We conducted 10 mass mailings to Assisted Living facilities, MRC-VR offices, Independent Living Centers, Hospitals, and Commissions on Disability and we continued to work closely with other reuse programs and organizations that provide us with bulk donations (Compassionate Care-ALS, Conlin’s Pharmacy, Medford Dialysis, MBTA, and Hutchinson Medical Supply). Finally, we welcomed two new drop-off sites for device donations in Salem and New Bedford (thank you, ILCNSCA and SCIL, respectively).
Moving forward, we are delighted to report expanded state funding to the program for FY19. Among the improvements anticipated by the increase … the capacity to refurbish more donated equipment!
Thank you to all our donors for helping make FY 2018 a banner year for REquipment
Last week our donations coordinator, Dan, received a call from a woman whose fiancé had died unexpectedly. She had just a few days to clean out his apartment and she didn’t want to see his power and manual wheelchairs put into a landfill. Dan explained our donations process and told her that our drivers work part time, so it might take a few weeks for us to pick up.
Clearly, that timeline was not going to work for her.
Her fiancé, however, had been a veteran actively involved in the local chapter of the New England Paralyzed Veterans of America (NEPVA). The woman had the idea to ask Debra Freed, the chapter executive director, for assistance.
That’s when the stars began to align.
Debra sits on the REquipment Board of Directors. She immediately contacted us to see how we could work together to make sure this veteran’s DME was kept in service. REquipment, as it turns out, was busy securing a storage unit in Canton the next day to alleviate the overflow at our Canton Reuse site. Debra offered to pick up the wheelchairs in NEPVA’s van and drop them off at the new Canton storage unit, all before the woman’s weekend deadline.
As result, REquipment can now “pay it forward.” We have an all-terrain power wheelchair (“camo” styled) and a manual wheelchair with red, white and blue colored leg rests. We refurbish every piece of DME we receive, so look for them in our inventory in the next few weeks.
Finding these items an appropriate home will be a meaningful way to honor a veteran for his service. REquipment DME is provided at no charge to individuals with disabilities, veterans, and seniors who need it. Our program changes lives and is a unique and important way to honor those who no longer need their devices.
For more information about NEPVA, visit www.nepva.org.
We are thrilled to report that last month REquipment was awarded $1,000 from The Awesome Foundation for our “Buy a Battery–Give Independence” project. The funds will allow us to put new batteries in 5 to 6 donated power wheelchairs and make them available to people who need mobility. What could be more awesome?
Every year REquipment receives donations of valuable powered mobility equipment. The DME is worth many thousands of dollars and it’s ironic if we have exactly the device an individual needs–this is specialized equipment–but can’t pass it along for lack of batteries. That’s when financial donations and grants become essential to keeping our neighbors moving!
Last year, REquipment refurbished and gave away 142 power wheelchairs and 28 scooters and every device received new batteries. We spent close to $24,000 on batteries, one of our program’s greatest expenses.
The Awesome Foundation awards $1000 a month to different groups and causes around the world. We are honored to be a part of their effort.
If you’d like to buy a battery and provide independence for a REquipment community member, please make a financial donation to REquipment. It feels awesome!
One of the most important practices for a reuse program is to ensure the equipment made available to the public has been thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.
The REquipment DME Reuse Program takes this very seriously.
A few years ago, the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission invested in the purchase of three HubScrub machines for the program.
A HubScrub machine.
These machines are like a very large front-loading washer; yet they accommodate manual wheelchairs, tub seats, shower chairs and any non-electric piece of durable medical equipment without tossing it upside down.
HubScrubs also go beyond cleaning just the surface of equipment. They use a germicide and UV lights to kill any bacteria we can’t see.
If you’re impressed by these machines, know that our standards are even higher than what a HubScrub alone can accomplish. For most equipment, our cleaning process involves three stages.
Prior to the use of the HubScrub, REquipment staff use a sanitizing spray and wipe off any obvious dirt and other materials by hand.
Chuck Smith, Cleaner/Technician, at the Worcester DME Reuse site spraying down a manual wheelchair.
After the HubScrub, there is even more inspection and “hand” work to ensure nothing has settled in cracks and crevices or around wheels etc.
Equipment that uses electricity, such as power wheelchairs, scooters and some lifts can’t be put into the HubScrub. These items are entirely cleaned by hand using a manual steamer, cloths, picks, etc.
No piece of equipment is posted as available unless it meets our strict high standards for sanitizing. If it isn’t clean enough for our own family members, it isn’t clean enough to be posted for reuse by REquipment.
Still, we welcome your feedback. If ever you are delivered DME from REquipment that does not meet your high standards for cleanliness, please tell us right away. We will work with our staff to rectify the situation and review our policy and standards so that it won’t happen again.
