Extreme 4x4
Testimonials.........
Hey Rick,
I "extremely" apologize for the delay in writing this testimonial. It
seems
now that I've acquired an Extreme 4X4, there is no holding me back. As
my
wife would put it..."Now that he has that thing, I can't keep track of
him".
I don't know whether I should be concerned or not. She used to worry
about
me, now it's almost like she forgot about me.
I became paralyzed 7 years ago. My life totally changed. Unless you
are
disabled, most people just can't understand what it's like losing
something
that everyone takes for granted, even the simple things like digging
your
toes in the carpet when you first wake up in the morning. For me,
there
were two devastating changes that took place. Of course, the first was
dealing with not being able to walk. The second was one I never
expected
until I got home and started dealing with my new lifestyle. It is
definitely
something they don't teach you in rehab. Apparently they think all you
will
do is stay home or occasionally visit the mall if accessible. I was a
pretty
active guy prior to my injury and I wasn't about to give that up....or
at
least I thought. The first time I went outside and started to venture
around, I found out just how hard it was going to be. It was apparent
that even
if my chair had a motor, there were going to be many obstacles in my
way.
Just when I thought I was getting some part of my life back....yet
another
setback. It was very depressing to think not only am I now disabled,
but I'm
also confined to flat level asphalt or concrete areas. You can't see
much of
nature that way. Then I heard about the Extreme 4X4. Wow, what a
marvelous
chair. Thanks to your help Rick, I am now the proud owner of what my
wife
refers to as "his freedom". I can do so much with it and go
anywhere...well
almost anywhere. I've only gotten stuck once in deep snow (as you well
know
the story), but that's what I get for showing off. I've been
everywhere with
it...hunting, fishing, exploring and just recently the nice sandy
beaches of
Florida. It's definitely a go-anywhere machine in all types of
terrain. It's
also very comfortable and stylish. The high-back bucket seat is
awesome.
There is one problem; however, my wife won't let me in the house with
it. I
can't thank you enough for giving me back a part of my life that I
thought
was gone forever.
Don't ever lose faith. If there is a will, there is definitely a way
with
help from people like yourself.
Sincerely,
Mike Jack
Angola, IN
Rick,
Awesome! That is the only way to describe the best Christmas
present I ever received. It came in the form of an Extreme 4x4
wheelchair. The true gift was the return of my quality of life it
facilitated. For most of my life I was an outdoorsman and a registered
New York State Guide. After my accident in February of 1999, which
left me a quadriplegic, I thought my former lifestyle was a thing of
the past. As my health and strength improved I longed to return to the
out of doors. The wheelchair I had was designed to be on pavement and
in the shopping mall not off road. Almost every time I ventured
off-road I had problems, including being stuck on my lawn. Most
resulted in my wife trying to push me back on the pavement.
Just prior to Christmas I received my Extreme 4x4. Because of my
size 6' 5" and weight about 245 pounds I had the larger motors
install. There was about three inches of snow on the ground the day it
arrived. After some minor adjustments I was off. Living in a rural
area of northern New York close to the Canadian border I'm surrounded
by abandoned farms and rugged terrain. I traveled about two miles that
first day on an overgrown farm road and had no problems whatsoever.
Since then I have been out seven or eight times driving through
fields, uphill and old abandoned roads. I've been on snow, frozen
ground and ice. The chair was up to any of the challenges I've been
able to come up with. The Extreme has opened up a world, which I
thought
had been taken away from me.
I would also like to thank the people at Innovation in Motion
(especially Christin) and Independence Providers Andreas Kuhbier and
Doug Manne. Once Independence Providers contacted me things progressed
quickly and smoothly. Unless you are disabled you cannot grasp the
impact such an innovative product like the Extreme 4x4 can have on
ones life.
Sincerely,
Richard Fabend
LaFargeville, N.Y.
Dear Rick,
Roger,
as I may have told you, is in advanced stages of Parkinson's
disease. He has difficulty standing up, much less walking any
distance. Even while sitting, it is a tremendous effort to
maintain an upright position. He even has a difficulty keeping
his head up. His eyes occasionally close, not from sleep, but
from a lack of motor coordination to keep them open. Maryrose,
his wife, constantly works with him as he occasionally drifts out of
"alertness". Speech is very difficult as well.
I
had doubts how he would operate the chair, but Rick, he did
wonderfully. We put him in it and I gave some brief
instructions. I tilted the chair back so that he would have a
better visual of the trail. Off he went at speed 3. It was
all that Maryrose and I could do to walk and keep up. Rick, he
went from the Nature Center all the way to the Inn Beach and
back. It was remarkable. He did that big hill all by
himself going down. I worked the lever coming up that hill as it
was tougher as you recall. I would not have believed he could do
it if I had not been there to observe. I figured we would work
the lever for him the whole way, but not so. He did it all by
himself. It was amazing. Maryrose, of course, was
delighted. They have always been big outdoors people and he has
not been able to travel this (or many others for that matter) in
years. She is excited about the new possibilities for them.
Fred
Wooley
Dear Rick,
I'm enclosing a few pictures of
me on the Extreme. In summer I drive it all over the garden. I
trim trees & raspberries, dig weeds, pick up litter with an Arc-mate,
etc. I've not been stuck yet, and believe me, the dog and I go
everywhere & on anything. Rusty also loves the chair & I can't
go anywhere without him.
John Vogt
Fairbanks, AK
Dear Rick,
Prior to purchasing my Extreme 4 x 4, I relied solely on my
Permobile Chairman to get around. Mine you, The Permobile was
wonderful, I went places I had never been able to go before, however
it did have limitations. We have young children and keeping up with
them is a challenge. I've been stuck at ball fields, beaches and
parks. At least in these places there was usually help around. At home
was a different story. We have five acres, but my access was limited
to about half of it and then only portions of that half. Even then I
would often have to travel a long zigzag route to get somewhere my
family walked directly to.
Getting stuck was always a problem to worry about. Mind you, I
stayed away from mud and other obstacles that could be seen. My
biggest problems were small chug holes that were hidden by grass or
leaves. Once one of my rear caster tires fell in one, I was stuck
until someone could pick up my 350lb chair and me out of the hole. It
as nothing to have to sit and wait 20 or 30 minutes while we called
neighbors to try to find someone to come help. I once was stuck for
two hours before we got help. I even had to get my wife to leave work
and pick up my teenage son from school to come get me unstuck. It got
to where she did not want me to go outside while she was gone because
she worried about me getting stuck. I don't want to even talk about
the day I thought I could burn the leaves in the pasture. Well I got
stuck in the path of the fire and got out just in time. I knew then
that I needed another chair.
I looked in magazines and searched the Internet for about nine
months trying to find something that would solve mobility problem. I
wanted something that would get around in the pasture and woods, but
that could also come in the house and be transported like a regular
wheelchair. I decided the Extreme 4 x 4 was the chair for me.
I now can go anywhere on my land, and as you can see from the
pictures it is quite rocky. These pictures do not do justice to the
capabilities of this machine. The rocks I'm climbing over are 4 to 8
inches high. It is very common for one wheel to come off the ground,
but even this is usually no problem.
I've had my Extreme 4 x 4 on a beach that was so soft it was
difficult to walk on, but I flew across it to the ocean shore to help
my kids collect seashells. I Four-wheeled right down to the lake
shoreline and up a ramp onto a party barge to take a boat ride with my
family.
Prior to purchasing the Extreme 4 x 4 I had to park on a pad at one
end of the swimming area at the lake were we camp. I can now sit
beside my children as they play in the sand ride to the other side of
the swimming area if that's where there are. I can park right next to
the lake or pond to fish with my son. I no longer have to watch from a
distance and now sometimes I even look for mud or other challenges
just for fun.
Most of all, my wife no longer worries about me going outside while
she is gone.
Chuck Archer
Sherwood, AR
