MOTABILITY WAVs
Episode 4: Seize the Day
Since the day they met (at a gliding club!) Mum and Dad have always had a zest for life. And while their flying days might be over (well, never say never) we all hoped that their new VW Caddy would help them reconnect with that adventurous spirit.
They’d had the car for a couple of weeks, and it was proving a huge success. Up until this point, either my sister or I had been there to help when they wanted to take it out. But the whole point of the car was to give them their independence back, and they were itching to give it a go without us.
A nice dry, sunny day with no other commitments proved the perfect opportunity – they decided on a trip to the garden centre for some snowdrops and cake.
Dad was soon in the car thanks to the PAWRS system, which has already become second nature to them.
Driving to the garden centre along the windy A-roads, Mum and Dad commented to each other about how comfortable the car was – both as driver and passenger. For Mum, accustomed to a high driving position in her Freelander, being able to raise the driving height is a real plus.
They arrived at Otter Garden Centre in Taunton. It’s a favourite of theirs as it has good disabled parking, it’s easy to manoeuvre Dad around the outside plants section and the café has a good selection of sandwiches and sweet treats too.
With some snowdrops selected, they decided to celebrate their success with coffee and a cake.
On the way home, Mum noticed Dad was a bit quiet. “Is it my driving?” she asked. “No,” he replied, “I’m just taking in the views, the panoramic roof makes the car feels so light and airy.”
“I’ve got a sudden sense of freedom,” he continued, “We can now visit all the places we haven’t seen together for some time. It’s a life changer.” That evening the family WhatsApp group was pinging away with photos and comments about their day out.
Winter can be particularly hard when you’re a wheelchair user, so Mum and Dad always try to make the most of even the slightest glimpse of sunshine.
Just a couple of days after that first solo trip to the garden centre, we had another unseasonably sunny day and Mum messaged the family group to say that she and Dad were off to Watchet. On arrival, it turned out that most of Somerset had had the same idea but Mum easily managed to park the VW Caddy in the only free parking space.
Watchet is a lovely town, with an impressive harbour that Mum can push Dad around and benches for them to sit and watch the world go by. Undeterred by the fact that it was barely spring, Mum even had an ice cream. After a lovely couple of hours they headed back to the car. As Dad positioned himself at the bottom of the ramp, a very kind gentleman approached them and asked if he could help get Dad in. “Thank you,” they said, “but there’s no need!” As he watched them use the PAWRS system to get Dad on board, he said, “I’m very impressed!”
When they got home, Mum settled in the sun lounge with a cup of coffee and Dad decided to squeeze every last drop out of the day by taking his mobility scooter out for a ride.
As they both reflected on a week of successful trips out, they realised that their new WAV is more than a practical mode of transport. It’s a mindset – seize the day!
Next time, Irene and Brian venture out at night in their WAV…
About this Blog
‘Back on the Road’ follows how a Brotherwood Volkswagen Caddy Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (WAV) is changing the lives of Somerset residents, Irene and Brian.
Brian is a wheelchair user and the couple are 80-something-young. They have a Golden Retriever, Barnaby, who will sadly never experience the adventures a Brotherwood WAV makes possible, as he refuses to travel by car.
The blog is written by one of their daughters, and will bring regular updates of how they are rediscovering the joys of spontaneous travel thanks to Brotherwood.
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