A woman with cerebral palsy was told she "does not meet the medical criteria for an NHS electric wheelchair."
Molly Hopwood, from Ormskirk, said for years an automatic wheelchair, which she funded herself, allowed her freedom and independence. However the 25-year-old has now started to "suffer" after her wheelchair broke.
The Edge Hill University student can't find afford to replace her electric wheelchair herself. She asked the NHS if they could provide an electric chair but was told she does not "qualify for an electric wheelchair" despite struggling to walk.
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Molly also discovered her old chair has now been discontinued, with the parts significantly more expensive than she can afford, LancsLive reports. Molly said: "I might be able to walk physically, which is true, but I suffer with fatigue and tiredness, as part of my condition.
"My muscles get more tired anyway and after you have so much surgery, over the years, as I get older, that takes a toll on your body anyway. Yes, I may be able and I may be able to do certain things, but I'm definitely not going to run a marathon next week."
It was confirmed last week that Molly will be getting a lightweight, self-propelled wheelchair from the NHS, but Molly does not believe it suits her needs. She believes an electric one will enable her to "travel further as she won't have to use as much energy to move it herself."
Molly said: "I'm round the corner from the university and when I say down the road, it's probably about five or 10 minutes, but the roads and things are so cobbly and uneven. If I wanted to go to the gym for example, me trying to get there via walking would be a workout in itself. I would be tired before I got there, so it's all about conserving energy really.
"Although I can walk, over time the more I do walk, it gets quite painful and sore because I get tired and my muscles get tired. At the same time, I don't want to be in a chair all the time."
She added. "Obviously, if something like my chair breaks, that takes my independence away. I can't really get out that much. Not independently anyway, not without anybody."
Not only is Molly hoping to raise funds for a new electric wheelchair, but the student also wants to raise awareness of cerebral palsy and ensure that anyone with the same condition is not alone. She said: "I spent a lot of years when I was a child and I had the condition, thinking I'm different to everybody else, I'm not the same as everybody else.
"I'm so different. Life is difficult and the way the system is does make it very difficult, but at the end of the day, I'm just like everybody else.
"I've just finished a university degree and yes, I might have my challenges and some challenges that maybe other people don't have but I like to shop, I get my nails done, I'm a normal 25-year-old being like everybody else."
You can donate to Molly's fundraiser by visiting her Go Fund Me page.
Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board confirmed that Molly did not meet the criteria for a powered indoor wheelchair, but has invited the patient to get in touch to discuss the matter further.
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