A day that didn’t go as planned
We had been together for 8 years and were in the midst of preparing for our wedding, which was scheduled for the following month, in September.
To relax a bit and celebrate my fiancé’s birthday, we had planned to go to the Gruyère baths. Unfortunately, we never reached our destination.
Instead, I was separated from my fiancé, taken by ambulance to the Fribourg hospital, and he was urgently airlifted to Inselspital. He no longer felt his limbs. My terrible suspicions were only confirmed the next day—his spinal cord at the C4 level was affected. However, no one dared to say the word «quadriplegic» in front of me.
A first fight for autonomy and freedom
After two surgeries at Inselspital and the beginning of a lifelong battle, we are now guided through this new life by the Swiss Paraplegic Centre.
Nevertheless, my fiancé’s autonomy and freedom are still greatly hindered, and our apartment must not become his prison. Fortunately, it is possible to adapt vehicles for people in electric wheelchairs. Unfortunately, the task is not simple and is further complicated by my fiancé’s size. He just manages to fit into the largest vehicle that can still maneuver in underground parking garages, but only if the floor is lowered and the ceiling is raised to gain a few more centimeters of space.
Funding distribution
The only vehicle we have as an option costs 60,000 CHF. Insurance covers only certain vehicle adaptations, but not the purchase of the vehicle itself. Therefore, this is our responsibility. We may receive assistance from the Swiss Paraplegic Foundation, which could offer us a 15% discount on the vehicle’s price, around 9,000 CHF. We will, of course, also use part of our savings. However, we would like to keep some of it for its original purpose, our wedding. Moreover, we will have additional expenses not covered by insurance: adapted mattress, cushions, bed, etc. That’s why we need your help.
