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Flying to the 2019 Cure SMA Conference
Hey everyone! Hope you all are having a great week.
Check out my latest column here. I wrote about flying to California for the 2019 Cure SMA conference. Unfortunately, the airline did damage my chair, several times. It’s a shame, because we prepared extensively for the trip.
Has anyone here had bad experiences with flying? Did it dissuade you from flying again? I hate that it didn’t go well, but this incident has turned me off from flying for a while.
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2 Replies
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I have had Houston Hobby break my chair every time I’ve flown in or out. I only plan to fly in the future for something amazing (i.e., my 30th birthday U.K. extravaganza).
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I have not flown for over 10 years. Fear of having my chair lost or damages is a significant reason, but did not on its own dissuade me from flying. The last straw was getting hurt by being transferred from the various series of wheelchairs to the airplane seat, and being in pain in the airline seat because it did not have the postural supports that I need to sit properly and comfortably. Moreover, it is virtually impossible for me to go to the washroom 2 to 3 hours before and after the flight. This requires that I stop drinking any fluids starting the day before and made me feel quite ill for the first couple of days. All these things together not only take the fun out of the adventure, but make flying a form of torture.
I hope many of you will join in advocating for the ability to travel in our wheelchairs while on the aircraft. Visit http://www.allwheelsup.org to see ways that on board travel can be done safely for everybody.
Tracy
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