Milton Keynes woman with life-limiting disabilties has to raise £9,000 to buy her own outdoor wheelchair

Clare Syvertsen's current wheelchair is so unsuitable that it can cause her to dislocate a shoulder or hip when it bumps around on uneven ground.

She has set up a GoFundMe page to raise £9,000 to buy the all-terrain power chair that will transform her life.

Clare, who lives on Old Farm Park, has a life-limiting condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome .

A connective tissue disorder, it prevents Clare from standing, walking or straightening her knees. Her joints, including her neck and spine, dislocate with any sudden movement and she suffers from chronic pain and fatigue.

The condition means Clare's skin is fragile a bruises easily and it also affects her organs. She has been using a wheelchair since the age of 13.

"In 2015 I lost the ability to swallow solid food and was diagnosed with severe dysphagia. The muscles in my throat were too weak to swallow anything but 5mls of water every hour," she said.

After lengthy hospital stays and losing huge amounts of weight, Clare now receives IV nutrition via a line that sits in vein leading to her heart. Sadly, her condition is classed as life-limiting.

But she says she always tries to be positive and insists she has a lot to the grateful for. The biggest joy in her life is Griffin, an assistance dog that was given to her in 2013 by a charity called Canine Partners.

"Griffin is the most amazing boy who has transformed my sad, bleak and lonely life into a world full of independence,opportunities and experiences," she said.

"He has over a 100 tasks he helps me with, such as opening and closing doors, loading and unloading the washing machine, picking up items I drop, and getting items for me.

"He goes to get help in an emergency. He helps me get dressed and undressed and he even flushes the toilet for me."

Clare's biggest pleasure is taking her dog out for walks around MK.

"I've also made so many friends thanks to Griffin," she said, Even though I face lots of health issues and challenges, I love being independent, going out by myself with Griffin and making the most of life."

However, enjoying outings with Griffin are getting more and more difficult as Clare's existing wheelchair becomes increasingly unsuitable.

"My joints are very unstable and I get chronic pain from using my current powerchair (it's more of an indoor chair) on certain terrain such as uneven paths, gravel and cobblestone paths.

"Can you imagine dislocating your shoulder or hip just from a wheelchair bumping you around? This is what I have to live with and it's becoming dangerous because there are certain joints that can cause life threatening conditions if they start to dislocate a lot. "

Clare's friend has a Mybility all-terrain powerchair and recently let her have a try in it.

"I couldn't believe the difference! I felt so comfortable in the very supportive seating system, and for the very first time in 32 years I didn't have pain or any joint dislocations. It was amazing."

The chair cannot be funded by the NHS so Clare has started her own campaign. So far she has raised £1,730 of her £9,000 goal.

You can make a donation here