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I n a bid to regain her independence, Shannen O’Flaherty has set up a GoFundMe page called ‘Wheeling Towards Happiness’

Shannen O’Flaherty says her independence has been taken away since she was provided with a wheelchair that is inadequate for her needs. Frustrated by the response of the HSE, she has set up a GoFundMe page in the hope of raising €12,000 for a suitable wheelchair and power pack

A young woman with a rare and life-limiting condition endures pain every day because her wheelchair is totally unsuitable for her needs.

S hannen O’Flaherty (26) is hoping a €12,000 fundraiser for a wheelchair and power pack will allow her to enjoy life with her new husband.

Ms O’Flaherty married Jonas Atzler (28) at the end of January, but so far the couple have been unable to fully enjoy married life. Ms O’Flaherty’s social life has also been placed on hold.

The DCU psychology student said she notified the HSE that she needed a new wheelchair in January 2022 and finally received one last October.

However, the wheelchair is causing her crippling pain as the design does not suit her individual needs. Attempts to order a new wheelchair via the HSE have so far failed.

The young couple do not want to attribute blame. However, they wish people with life-limiting disabilities were better prioritised by the health system.

Mr Atzler, a PhD student, said his wife was a “fun-loving” person with an active social life. However, since the arrival of the wheelchair, she has been impeded from enjoying her days and is isolated in their Cork city flat.

“I love learning, I love college,” Ms O’Flaherty said. “I study online but I can’t do any of the things I was doing before, such as socialising and going to the cinema. I love going out to eat and watching movies.”

Ms O’Flaherty had previously enjoyed the independence of going to the cinema alone. She studied film in the past and loved watching movies by Spike Jonze.

“Shannen is normally a very funny person,” Mr Atzler said. “Before this whole situation, we laughed a lot. She was constantly cracking jokes.

“She’s a very open, loving and kind person. But since this, her life has changed. She just wants to get back to enjoying things. If she tries to do things now, she’ll be overcome by pain due to this wheelchair.”

Ms O’Flaherty has Friedreich’s ataxia, a rare condition which causes damage to the nervous system and leads to severe movement problems.

She also has a heart condition and scoliosis and needs a wheelchair that fits her needs correctly.

“All this wheelchair does is amplify what I’m not able to do,” she said. “It’s painful. Like, physically painful. It actually hurts.”

Ms O’Flaherty attended St Mary’s College in Co Kildare and is currently enjoying studying psychology in her second year at DCU.

She aims to enter into academic research professionally. But in order to claim back her life, she needs a suitable wheelchair.

Mr Atzler said: “The HSE is extremely understaffed and underfunded. Everyone is left waiting for services and equipment. This is a critical situation.

“Shannen never thinks about how long she has left. She only wants to live each day the best she can. But without the correct wheelchair, she cannot do that.”

The couple thanked the public and hope the issue will raise awareness about how people with serious life-limiting illnesses are treated.

The GoFundMe has already raised over €5,000. It is called ‘Shannen O’Flaherty: Wheeling Towards Happiness’.

A HSE spokesperson said: “We cannot respond on the individual case referenced and would ask that the details are provided so that follow-up can be made with the individual.

“More generally, all referrals for aids and appliances are considered by a multidisciplinary team and requests are assessed and categorised based on clinical priority.

“Many wheelchairs are stock items and once prescribed by a healthcare professional, there are minimal delays in their provision to the individual service user. Other items are bespoke, complex and expensive.

“We acknowledge that there can be a time lag between their recommendation and delivery to the individual that can arise due to a number of factors.”

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