Meet Sophia and Archie
Heading into their teen years with independence
Just before Christmas, we met Sophia and Archie, two 13-year-olds who visited the Whizz Kidz clinic for adjustments to their wheelchairs. Each adjustment is incredibly personal, and our therapists and engineers work hard at these appointments.
The Whizz Kidz team
At Whizz Kidz, our therapists and engineers do vital work not only in ensuring that children and young people are given expertly fitted wheelchairs with their specific needs in mind, but that those wheelchairs continue to be fit for purpose over the years.
This usually means adjusting for growth, especially during teen years, but can also include other adjustments to accommodate changes in their medical condition or lifestyle.
They go above and beyond, and you can see the fulfilment they get after measuring and fitting each child with equipment for them to hand it over and see them dash about and be independent.
Joanne, Archie's Mum
Meet Sophia
Sophia Shahzad, a chatty and intelligent teenager, received her first Whizz Kidz wheelchair seven years ago, followed by a larger one in the summer of 2022.
She has mitochondrial disease, which means she cannot walk and she gets tired easily. She uses a manual wheelchair with an optional power add on wheel which can be attached for an extra boost. This is perfect for longer, or lower energy days.
Meet Archie
Archie, who was also visiting the Whizz Kidz clinic for adjustments to his chair, received his first Whizz Kidz wheelchair when he was five years old. The same team has seen him for all of these years, growing into the young man he is today.
His Mum reminisced about the day Archie picked up his first wheelchair:
It was amazing. Archie had the biggest smile on his face and was fully involved in the process. He was able to pick his own colour which he thought was really special.
Joanne, Archie's Mum
Archie was born with lymphoedema, and similarly to Sophia, sometimes uses a power add-on wheel sometimes. He’s also on to his second wheelchair, a lightweight model that is easy to self-propel.
The wheelchair helps a lot with getting around school and other places. Whizz Kidz have done a lot to make it bigger and help me when I need it.
Archie
For Archie, and for Sophia, their wheelchairs mean independence, which is especially important as they head into their teen years.
We have always wanted Archie to be like his non-disabled peers and be able to keep up with them on his own.
With a Whizz Kidz wheelchair he is able to do this and doesn’t need an adult to push him around. At lot of the time his teachers need to ask him to slow down!
Joanne, Archie's Mum
You can also read Sophia and Archie’s story in The Express here.