Medical equipment makes a difference

26 September 2008

Pensioner Mary Welsh – who has difficulty walking unassisted – looked set to miss a family holiday abroad until the Red Cross’ medical equipment service saved the day.

Volunteers for the service in Bellshill, Lanarkshire recently loaned a wheelchair to Mary while she waited for her permanent model to arrive.

She remembers: “It made a big difference. I was about to miss a family holiday in Benidorm because I wouldn’t be able to manage without a wheelchair. The service was a real lifeline.” The Red Cross wheelchair also meant Mary was able to join her family on various day trips after she arrived home until her own chair arrived.

Quality of life

All across the UK, the Red Cross provides thousands of short-term loans of medical equipment – such as wheelchairs and back-rests – every year. These loans help people to stay active and mobile following an accident, illness or stay in hospital. At the Red Cross centre in Bellshill, Lanarkshire, hundreds of vulnerable people like Mary benefit from the service every year.

Another Lanarkshire resident, Mr Shannon from Airdrie, turned to the service to help bring comfort and quality of life to his late wife Elizabeth as she struggled against lung cancer. The Red Cross’ wheelchair meant Mrs Shannon was able to be taken out on day trips and visits to local amenities during her final weeks. 

Mr Shannon said: “I don’t know what we would have done if we hadn’t been able to borrow the wheelchair. They are quite expensive to buy and the loan from the Red Cross meant that we were able to get out and about quite a bit.”

Great service

Mhari Edgar, from East Kilbride, used the service after suffering a prolapsed disc in her back, which severely impaired her mobility and left her virtually housebound. She recalled: ”It’s a great service. Everyone at the Red Cross was lovely and I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who needs help. It gave me freedom and my life back again!”

Complementing the medical equipment service, the Red Cross’ transport service  provides a lifeline to people who cannot get about easily or have difficulty using public transport. Volunteer drivers collect people from their homes and take them to hospital appointments, to visit family and friends or even to buy their weekly shopping.

The Red Cross is also looking to recruit new volunteers to help with both the medical equipment service and transport service. Red Cross service manager, Jim Griffin, explained: “The great thing with these services is that you get to see first-hand the difference you’re making to people’s lives and how grateful they are that you’re there to help. It really is rewarding.”

Learn more about the medical equipment service

Become a medical equipment volunteer

First aid training