Users Stories
Emily’s Story
Emily Zammataro is an 88 year old who lives in New Jersey. At age 79, Emily had a double knee replacement, and a Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TVAR) by age 86. Six months after her procedure, Emily experienced a stroke, which created limiting weakness on her left side including her arm and leg.Following a five month in-and-out patient physical and occupational therapy experience, Emily was introduced to the Velochair. Emily now uses the chair 6 to 8 times a week. In addition to home-based physical and occupational therapy, her routine includes doing laps around the streets of her community which she estimates to be about 2 miles a day. She recently used the Velochair to shop around a popular indoor mall near her home. It has enabled her to meet new neighbors and remain socially active while strengthening her body and mind.
Jenn’s Story
Jennifer Smith, age 45, is a proud wife and mother to two children. She was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at a young age, thyroid disease in 2005, Multiple Sclerosis in 2006, and Heart Disease in 2013.After suffering from a heart attack, she began to lose her ability to stand or walk for longer than five minutes. This began her withdrawal from activities with her family. For 5 years she sat at home, not wanting to inconvenience anyone and daydreaming of how active she used to be. Her family suggested it was time to look at wheelchairs so that she could continue to participate in everyday events. In April of 2018, it was suggested she visit the Abilities Expo in Edison, NJ to look at the possibility of purchasing a wheelchair. It was at the Abilities Expo that Jennifer discovered the Velochair. Jennifer no longer sits at home. She has the opportunity to go on walks with her husband in the park. She can pedal to her parents’ home a few blocks away. She takes frequent trips to the mall, the grocery store, and the craft shop. For the first time in 5 years she is living her life again.
Michael’s Story
Michael Byrnes is a 64 year-old husband, father, father-in-law and grandfather. Mike, a retired software engineer who lives in NJ, suffered a spinal cord injury at 59 leaving him paralyzed on the left side of his body.
David’s Story
David Guinivere, 61, has muscular dystrophy, a disease that has affected his legs, core, and arms. David was diagnosed 28 years ago and is a retired software engineer.
Peter’s Story
Peter Hersh, age, 64, is currently the Director at the Cornea and Laser Eye Institute. Dr. Hersh is a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology and Director of the Cornea and Refractive Surgery Division at Rutgers Medical School, and Visiting Research Collaborator at Princeton University. At Princeton, he works with the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering investigating new laser applications to eye surgery. Peter was introduced to the VeloChair after suffering from an injury in a bicycling accident.
I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to pedal but it is so easy.
– Jenn
I feel I’ve gained some more strength when I keep up with using the VeloChair
– David
It’s a great work out for my left leg and the next day it’ll be sore which is great. It’s great to be able to feel it.
– Michael
I’m not stuck in the house. I have access to the outdoors. My cardiologist loves it.
– Emily
I can see a substantial improvement in my leg strength, endurance, and general well being.
– Peter
Peter’s experience
The following is a real conversation between Peter and Dani, from Velochair.
Dani
Peter
Dani
Peter
Dani
Have you noticed a difference in your strength or endurance after using the VeloChair for an extended period of time?
Peter
Dani
Peter
Dani
Peter
Dani
Peter
They are extremely professional, innovative in what they do, extraordinarily responsive, will take care of every problem that you have and are incredibly nice people dedicated to the field.
Jenn’s experience
The following is a real conversation between Jenn and Dani, from Velochair.
Jenn
Everyone stops me. I hand out the pamphlets. I give them all the information I have.
Jenn
I like it because I still have function of my legs but I can’t stand that long so I wasn’t ready for a wheelchair. I wasn’t ready to be pushed everywhere but when we go to the store, I wind up sitting half the time and I don’t see anything and we don’t go anywhere together because I have to find a place to sit.
Jenn
Jenn
My family and my husband pushed me to go to the Expo even though I really didn’t want to but they said that eventually if I want to go anywhere with the family, I’m going to need a wheelchair. When we first saw the Velochair, I was hesitant about it at first but I was really impressed. We walked around for a bit just to see what there was but we didn’t see anything like it. Just your standard wheelchair.
Jenn
At first I was like nah it’s ok, I don’t want to try it and then Ken was like just sit in it. Take it for a spin. Once I got in the Velochair, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to pedal but it is so easy. I only have strength in one leg but the strength is building up in the other now. Once I figured out how to maneuver it and use the steering tillers, it was so easy. I love it.
Dani
So you definitely feel like you’ve gained some more muscle?
Jenn
I feel like my weaker leg is now stronger than the leg that is fine believe it or not. (pointing to weaker leg) My doctor did some strength tests and she said that I have more muscle.
Dani
Aside from doctor’s visits, where have you guys taken the chair?
Jenn
We go to the park. I go shopping, we went to the mall. We took it to the town parade. Everyone was asking me what the chair was and saying they had never seen anything like it before. I was like I know because it’s new!
Jenn
This chair has opened my world. I think of all the people it can help as well. I want to see it flourish so much. People don’t realize how much freedom it really gives you. I didn’t realize it just by going to that expo. I was hesitant to even sit in it like I said and Now that I have it, it’s opened up our world. We can go out together as a family and do things together.
Dani
You’re not the only one who was hesitant to sit in it at first. What was your apprehension?
Jenn
I was afraid I wasn’t going to be able to push the pedals and I didn’t want to look weak. I thought it was going to be more like a bicycle and it was going to be harder and I can’t ride a bike because I can’t stay steady. You don’t have to do that with the chair. It just glides. I was just unsure, I saw everyone riding around in them but that was my biggest fear.
Jenn
My son loves it. He’s only 14 but he’s so excited by it. He’s always asking where we are going to go. It’s a family bonding experience.
Jenn
As for the steering on the chair, it’s intuitive. Usually when you get into something new, it takes some time to learn but I just started pedaling and took off!
Jenn’s experience
The following is a real conversation between Jenn and Dani, from Velochair.
Dani
Can you tell me a little bit more about what happened?
Michael
My son had a destination wedding in Puerto Rico. He had the wedding Friday night and Saturday morning I went for a swim out in the ocean. I was going to meet a bunch of people who were farther out in the water. I began to float on my back and I saw a wave coming in so I turned over and thought I’ll ride the wave in. The wave ended up taking me down and I hit my head on the seafloor. I knew at the time I was paralyzed. I couldn’t move anything below my neck. I came up for a gulp of air and I went back down and that was the last thing I remember. My son and my son-in-law who were farther out, turned around and saw me floating so they came to get me. They took me out of the water and there happened to be an EMT and his wife on the beach that resuscitated me. From that part on I’m going by what people have told me happened next. Eventually, I was diagnosed with a broken C3-C4 vertebrae and there was nothing they could do. I was in the hospital in Puerto Rico for a week. They were able to get me airlifted out to Teterboro, NJ a week later. I got to Morristown Hospital and that’s where they operated and put a brace in my neck. I was in the hospital for another week and then I went to in-patient care at Kessler for three months. I’m very lucky.
Dani
Michael
It’s very slow but I have started to gain strength. At first, I wasn’t able to do anything. When I was released from Kessler in January of 2016, I was not able to stand on my own. Over time and between therapy at Kessler and home therapy, I’m now able to get myself up out of the VeloChair on my own and use a walker. My left side was totally paralyzed. That’s what I’m really recovering from. My right side is relatively strong. I’m starting to get feeling back. That was the other thing. I had no feeling at all. It was one of the things that was just really annoying. I had no feeling in my hands and I’ve got some of that feeling back now which is great. They had categorized the injury as an incomplete injury. If it was complete I would have been a quadriplegic.
Dani
Michael
Not so much in the cold weather but in the nice weather I was going out three times a week but two times a week was pretty regular.
Dani
How far do you think you were going?
Michael
Dani
Is there anywhere else that you have taken the VeloChair on outings?
Michael
One place I had gone to last year, I had to make an appointment to go talk to my son’s principal over at the high school. I rode the VeloChair over to the high school and I made an arrangement before I got there. I talked to the secretary and the principal and I said, “I have an unusual request. I’m coming in on this pedal wheelchair. I know there’s an entrance to the auditorium on the side but it’s locked. Would you mind unlocking the door?” So she let me in and I was able to ride through the school and make it into his office. He got a kick out of it. My wife and I sometimes put it in the car and go to a few places. Duke Island Park has some nice trails.
Dani
So, from one marathoner to the next, can you talk a bit about your life before the accident? You sound like you were and still are a very physically active person
Michael
Oh yeah, I used to run every morning. They started to have a 5K in town about 20 years ago. I started to challenge my kids to see if they would run. So I would get up every morning and run three or four miles. Then one year I tried to get my wife to run the 5K with me and she said, “You run a marathon, I’ll run the 5K.” So that’s what I did. I ran Boston and I ran New York.
Dani
Oh well, no sweat, those are only the two biggest marathons aside from Berlin. What else do you need to do?
Michael
Well I had to qualify for Boston but since I was working for Hewlett Packard, they were a sponsor so they had x number of spots. I didn’t make it initially but I kept bugging the woman who was in charge. It came the month before the marathon and she called me up and said, “Are you still interested?” And I had just run New York and I said, “Yeah! Of course!”
Dani
You have to be fast to qualify for Boston.
Michael
You have to be much faster than New York. “Heart-break Hill” is around the 17 mile mark. I got to the top of it and I was like, “oh wow this is great. I made it.” But the downhill after that was….the worst.
Dani
So wait, did your wife do the 5K?
Michael
No.
Dani
Oh come on! You have to hold her accountable!
Dani
Have you thought about doing a 5K in the chair?
Michael
If they still had the 5K in town I would.
Dani
Do you feel when you are consistent with the VeloChair you feel a difference?
Michael
It’s a great work out for my left leg and the next day it’ll be sore which is great. It’s great to be able to feel it.
Dani
We’ve had a lot of people who experience hesitation when first trying the VeloChair then once they get in it, they immediately realize how easy it is. A lot of people who stumble upon us, find us because they’re looking for a solution outside of a wheelchair like a pedal wheelchair or a pedal powered wheelchair and so that’s the constant remark that we get, “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
Michael
I was limited with the wheelchair. It’s really hard to get up over lips and inclines. I wanted something that I could propel myself with.
Dani
My last question for you, what is a word of advice you would give to others who are struggling with mobility challenges?
Michael
The ability to get around on your own is so important. I was hesitant to go out alone and at first my wife would ride next to me on her bike when we went out. Then eventually, I was like ok I can do this. Finding a way to have your freedom and get exercise. This is an alternative. The one thing I’m working toward, I need someone to help me in and out of the VeloChair. I can almost hoist myself out but if I were able to do it on my own and use it whenever I want, that’s my end goal.
Emily’s experience
The following is a real conversation between Emily and Dani, from Velochair.
Dani
Do you feel that even in three months of having the chair, that you’ve built up muscle and strength?
Emily
With the VeloChair, I saw a great improvement in my legs. I had weakness in my legs from the stroke but it improved a great deal. Lately, since I haven’t been able to take it out every day due to the weather, I can feel some of the weakness coming back but even after a month and a half of using it in the beginning, I could see a difference.
Frank (Son)
Emily
We go out together and I let the OT set the pace and then I follow her about four times around the development.
Dani
Have you taken the chair anywhere else outside of just the surrounding area?
Emily
We went to the mall, shopping to buy a new TV and things.
Frank (Son)
She gets around great. It’s very easy for her to use.
Emily
When I’m riding the VeloChair, I focus on pushing the leg that is weakest.
Dani
The laps that you’re doing around the development how far are you going mileage wise?
Emily
2.8 miles every other day.
Dani
Do you feel like once you get out of the chair and you have a little time to relax that you’re walking is better?
Emily
Yes, much stronger. So many people stop me and ask about the VeloChair.
Another thing that I think is really important to bring up is the mental value.
Emily
I can get out. I’m not stuck in the house. I have access to the outdoors. My cardiologist loves it.
Frank (son)
I think the mental lift it provides is really vital. Not being bound to a walker or a cane. When we had gone to the Short Hills Mall, we were in one store and I turned around and she was already on her way to the next one on her own and I think it builds her confidence up.
Emily
Before this I couldn’t get out at all. It gives me access to the outside and to be around people and I feel wonderful with it.
Frank (son)
If you talk to cardiologists and people who deal with heart conditions, being mobile is part of the problem. The blood isn’t flowing as well and plaque can build up but in this particular case, I believe not only does VeloChair help you psychologically and physically in terms of strength but it can help from a cardio perspective as well in terms of improving blood flow through the body.
Frank (son)
Another thing that is important for VeloChair is the community that it can create. For example, a neighbor of my mom’s expressed interest in one and if she got one and my mom has hers now they can do things together. There could be an opportunity for users in this area to come together and meet at the mall on a Sunday morning and have an activity. It creates social interaction which is supercritical to longevity.
Frank (son)
And this is just a personal opinion from the son of an 88 year old who had a stroke, it’s allowed me to do something with my mom again. I don’t feel inhibited in any way shape or form to be like “Hey Mom, let’s go to the park or the mall”. I actually think it’s allowed me to have a different relationship with her and interact at a different level that we haven’t been able to for awhile.
David’s experience
The following is a real conversation between David and Dani, from Velochair.
David
I’ve had the Velochair for 3-4 months and I use it for exercise around the neighborhood. I feel I’ve gained some more strength when I keep up with using the VeloChair.
Dani
Do you have a goal in mind that you think you want to achieve with the VeloChair?
David
Dani
Do you think it’s mainly muscle mass that you need to build up?
David
Yes and from sitting in the wheelchair things are constricting.
Dani
And you feel in the VeloChair you’re able to stretch out more?
David
My legs yes.
Lisa
He has muscle contracture in his hips and the backs of his legs and so when he’s pedaling he’s stretching his legs out.
Lisa
He’s improved some of his strength since getting the VeloChair. He could not make it down to the end of the block and back. I’d have to push him. Then he got to the point where he could make it there and back with a rest in between. Now he can go down and back without a problem. It’s a half a mile so he has improved his strength.
Dani
David
Definitely, I think it’s great for anyone who wants to strengthen their legs or get a workout. I’m also diabetic so that kind of exercise also helps.erson
Lisa
It also makes it more interesting. We can walk the dog, walk around the neighborhood, and meet the neighbors. I’m hoping he will get fast enough that I can ride my bike instead of walking next to him.
I like that you can steer it and go where you want to go.
Lisa
Except he doesn’t ever want to go where I want to go.
Dani
But that’s the thing! Now he has his own independence.
David
One thing that I really like is that it feels sturdy. We went to a neighbor’s birthday BBQ and Lisa had to push me across the lawn to get to the backyard but it didn’t feel wobbly or shaky.
Dani
David
I can feel the improvement each time we go out.
