Brett’s wheelchair gets new lease of life but many other mobility devices are gathering dust

EACH year the NDIS funds almost $600 million dollars for the purchase and maintenance of assistive technology such as wheelchairs.

But as the scheme continues to experience cost blowouts and participants wait up to a year for wheelchairs to be funded, millions of dollars’ worth of equipment is going to waste.

For Wauchope resident Lorraine Battle, this presented a challenge after her 51-year-old son Brett passed away two months ago.

“Brett was an incredibly brave person who went through so much and displayed immense strength,” she said.

“He really did live up to his surname.

“He had a unique sense of humour, and a love of books and vinyl records.”

Lorraine didn’t want Brett’s TiLite wheelchair to gather dust in storage, particularly after seeing how much joy he got from using it.

However, there is no formal scheme for recycling or passing on mobility items and some online marketplaces ban the sale of anything they view as medically related.

For safety and comfort, a wheelchair needs to be scripted or customised to the individual but when needs change, they become obsolete.

This results in garages full of unused equipment.

Lorraine contacted local occupational therapist Nick Reginato for help.

She was delighted that he was able to refurbish Brett’s wheelchair and other equipment for use by somebody else.

Brett was born with medical conditions that affected his entire life.

In his younger years he enjoyed working in a bookshop in Newcastle, followed by a period studying hairdressing.

But as his health declined, he returned home to his family.

Multiple hospital stays followed, and ultimately, he lost one leg, which necessitated the use of a wheelchair and the assistance of support workers, like Nichole Budin.

“Brett always said when your wheelchair gives you part of your life back, you really learn to appreciate it, and he loved whizzing around in it,” Nichole said.

By Rachael THORPE