We would like to fund a modified electric wheelchair for Ramila, a lady who has given a great deal of time and energy to World In Need.
For years, Ramila has worked as a volunteer for World In Need in Azerbaijan. From her family’s tiny flat in Baku she did much of our admin and co-ordinated our Child Sponsorship Programme. She also opened her home to us for meetings, or if we needed storage space.
Ramila’s family came to Baku as refugees from the Azerbaijan-Armenian war in the early 1990s. Along with hundreds of thousands of others, they fled with nothing and had to start their lives from scratch. What made this particularly hard for them is that Ramila suffers from Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. (CMT)
CMT is an inherited genetic disorder, a form of muscular dystrophy. Walking is very difficult due to muscle wastage and a loss of sensory feeling in the limbs, hands and feet. Breathing, hearing and vision are also affected, and many sufferers struggle to eat and speak.
Emotional stress can also make the condition worse.
The disease means that Ramila, now 27, is virtually housebound. Thankfully, she has a computer with internet access which enables her to interact with the world outside. It is through her computer that she has done so much to help us.
Now, we would like to help Ramila. An electric wheelchair would give her the freedom to leave her home and would allow her a measure of independence. However, such a chair is far beyond the reach of her family, who struggle to survive on her father’s low income.
World In Need would like to buy this chair for Ramila, but we need to raise £2,200 to do it.
An electric wheelchair would give her the freedom to leave her home and would allow her a measure of independence. However, such a chair is far beyond the reach of her family, who struggle to survive on her father’s low income. The money you donate will NOT buy a wheelchair here to be sent over. Instead, we will give the money to the local manufacturers in Azerbijan who make these wheelchairs. This contributes to the local economy, and ensures any repairs can be completed relatively quickly and easily.
Watch this video to get a glimpse into the life of someone living with this debilitating disease
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ffqD3SjAHM