Oliver’s Rollator “life Saver”

Oliver Gosling, is an artist and Art Lecturer in Worthing, who lives with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease, a rare peripheral neuropathic condition that affects the nerves which connect the brain and spinal cord to the rest of the body. This means that he has ‘drop foot’ and difficulty walking and standing, he uses a rollator to help get around his house and back and forth to the studio, he has to get in and out of the car 5 or 6 times a day, which is not straightforward or easy, as Oliver says 

‘The rollator is a clunky, difficult thing.’

Unfortunately the condition has damaged Oliver’s wrists and he needs arm rests at the right height to support his arms to help control the rollator. Luckily, he was referred to REMAP by an Occupational Therapist at University College London Hospital’s specialist CMT clinic.

Shelley our volunteer Chair at the Essex South branch went to see Oliver, they had a good chat and Shelley came away with a brief for Colin. 

Colin one the volunteer Engineers visited Oliver to take measurements before going back to his workshop to make the custom made arm rests. Adding the arm rests, checking they’re the right height and safe for Oliver, all in all, took about 2 months, there was no cost to Oliver;

“REMAP is an excellent charity. Colin’s arm rests have been brilliant, they’ve really helped my wrists, they’re not so painful, when I use the rollator. 

Trying to buy aids from retailers is like the wild west, they’re just selling the stuff, for them it’s one size fits all, but the reality is very different, everyone is different and often disabled in a unique way. Both Shelley and Colin were lovely and have really helped me, and I know I can go back to REMAP if I need anything else.”