Nifty New Tool to Help Transfer to and from Bed

Howard Bailes tells a fascinating story...

“When my wife Janice contracted MS it left her without the use of her legs.I quit work to stay and care for her.As her condition worsened she lost the use of more and more muscles. Each day I struggled to help her maintain any type of normal life and level of dignity. I was exhausted from assisting her in transferring from the bed to the bathroom, kitchen, living room and car."

"Janice did not just want to lie in bed with a bed pan with the time she had remaining. I calculated one day that I was transferring her between 40 to 50 times each day. My back had been injured in a car accident and I was in pain every day.I searched the market for an affordable product that would help us get her around without the stress and strain we were current forced to endure. There were no affordable solutions to be found, only expensive and dehumanizing people cranes. I could not afford a people crane and who wants to be hauled up boomed around and loaded onto a wheel chair like cargo?"

"Without a solution I would not be able to go on much longer, my back ached and Janice now received a skin tear when her lower body twisted during the transfer from the bed to the wheel chair.Now I have added wound management and the risk of infection to my worries.Desperate for a solution I went to a machine shop and created a simple tool to make this difficult task a little easier."

Out of their tragedy, Howard created a product (www.mrswivel.com) that helps hundreds of patients and their caregivers. I share his story for two reasons: the pain you are going through right now may be able to be used for something good later on, and that there may be some who would benefit from such a device.

peace and mercy,
Angie