Disabled woman benefits from an uplifting donation after being turned down by the council
A thirty-one-year-old woman from Swansea has received a life changing gift after being turned down by her local council for a stairlift.
Rhian Ballard-Smith, who suffers from chronic pain neuropathy and Ehlors-Danors Syndrome, was deeply concerned that her husband was struggling to carry her up and down the stairs every day.
Turning to crowdfunding Rhian created a “Go Fund Me” campaign named “could you give me a little lift?” to raise the money needed to install a stairlift to her second floor bedroom and bathroom.
“I wanted to feel safe, secure and independent in my own home. The strain on my husband to carry me upstairs every night was taking its toll on his health. I was encouraged to start an online fundraising campaign and was so touched when we received donations from generous strangers,” said Rhian.
A Wales Online reporter caught wind of the campaign and wrote a story about Rhian and her plight. The news article came to the attention of leading manufacturer, Acorn Stairlifts, who promptly got in touch with the Rhian to offer her a free of charge stairlift.
“When I received the call from Acorn Stairlifts I was in shock,” said Rhian. “I was so bowled over by the offer and it meant that the generous public support could be put towards a five year warranty and complete peace of mind. The process was so quick within 24 hours, Acorn had visited the house and installed a stairlift for free.”
Dave Belmont, company secretary at Acorn Stairlifts said: “We were able to support Rhian as soon as we heard about her plight and with our FastTrack installation service we had a stairlift installed immediately.
“Like so many of our customers Rhian feels like she has gained her independence back and this is often a priceless benefit for having a stairlift in your own home.”
Rhian added: “My husband and I are so thankful to Acorn Stairlifts for their incredibly fast installation.”