Life changing stories

Hi, my name is Annie, and I’ve been living with a spinal cord injury for 19 years.

Combining my love for animals and nature with severe pain and limited mobility has been a tough challenge for the healthcare system to solve. Even though I’ve been using an “extreme” wheelchair for 12 years, it has come with significant limitations on what I can do. Two years ago, I received an updated version of the chair, but while it looked similar visually, it came with several major design flaws.

Due to my injury, I need extensive core support. For someone like me, who’s determined to keep up with horses, sheep herding, and my two Border Collies (my greatest passion), finding a functional wheelchair has been incredibly tricky. Most seats fail to provide the balance I need for my upper body, leaving me in extreme pain.

Two years ago, I looked into a Zoomability chair, but everyone around me said, “No, you won’t be able to handle it.” So, I kept fighting with all my might for my right to live an active life.

Then, in August 2024, the electronics in my “extreme” wheelchair burned out. Knowing how slow the healthcare system typically is—and that getting a specialized wheelchair repaired would take months (as of now, it’s being repaired abroad—sigh)—I convinced my somewhat worried husband that we should go and try out a Zoom. I was in the middle of the herding season, with two very active dogs, and being stuck indoors was no fun for anyone around me.

When I arrived, I thought, how are they going to fit my 183 cm frame and broad hips into that seat? And how will I manage with my spastic legs? But it worked—I was secured in place as if held by a vise. Getting out was admittedly harder, but to my surprise, I wasn’t in more pain after the test drive. Zoomability listened carefully to my feedback and explained how the chair could be customized for me.

The test drive was amazing! We made the decision the next day, and four days later, we picked up my very own Zoom. It’s had a few custom modifications so I can sit even more comfortably for longer periods.

For 19 years, I’ve navigated tough terrain in sheep pastures that felt like mogul courses, often with my heart in my throat. Now, I zoom through them. Even my dogs seem to think, Are you really allowed to go this fast out here in the fields?

Strangely, I never think about the cost anymore. If it ever comes up, my husband and I both chime in at the same time: Worth every penny.

For 19 years, mud, soft ground, glare ice, and more have been my nemesis, forcing me to skip activities and avoid certain places because they were inaccessible. Now, it’s almost a challenge to try new things. I often come home covered in mud but with a huge smile on my face.

Many people criticize the simplicity of the seat design. For me, it’s the magical ingredient that lets me navigate with my Zoom.
Because of my spasticity, we chose to install a fixed safety belt, which works perfectly.

Thank you, Zoomability, for doing everything to ensure I got my Zoom quickly, and for listening attentively and helping me find solutions tailored to my physical needs.

Meet Ivanna Brown: A tale of independence and resilience. Ivanna, born in the Shetland Islands and raised in various military bases worldwide, joined the Air Force and was stationed in Tucson, Arizona. A car accident at 25 left her paralyzed from the waist down, but she turned this challenge into a story of triumph.

After receiving treatment through the VA in Long Beach, California, Ivanna embraced her new life with determination. “I wanted to make sure I could do everything by myself,” she said. Her time with the VA was transformative, not just for her recovery but also for her spirit. “The VA here in Long Beach has a staff that is just really behind veterans living their best life. They really will do whatever they can to get you to try to do new things… They taught me how to be independent… They are just awesome, it’s a really good VA!”

Ivanna's life took another turn for the better when she received a Zoom from The Independence Fund. This device has allowed her to enjoy activities she previously could only watch from afar. “One of the big things about having a Zoom is being able to go to Dog Beach (with her two dogs)… before the Zoom, I’d sit up on top of the hill and watch everyone playing with their dogs… The fact that I can actually get down there and run around with my dogs … I cried the first time, I literally cried, it was just so amazing.”

With her new Zoom, Ivanna is not only gaining freedom but also looking forward to exploring more rugged terrains without the physical strain. “Now if I do want to go through a field or something I’m not going to rip my shoulder to shreds trying to participate in stuff. You can do it and you’re not going to injure yourself and that’s a huge thing.”

Her plans now include traveling in an RV with her dogs. “Me and my dogs are going for it – we’re going to go wherever we want and stay wherever we want. I can go to all these campgrounds now which were not fun before, because it’s all gravel and dirt and takes 10 minutes to go two feet… I’m super ridiculously excited!”

“The Zoom has changed my life in that I am going to change my life – drastically!”