EEIBA helps Jo maintain her independence

EEIBA, the electrical industry charity, is helping a woman from Lowestoft keep mobile and independent following help with the provision of a new power chair.

Jo Alexander of Lowestoft in Norfolk was diagnosed with Gigantism at the age of 13. Due to the nature of this rare and complex condition, she suffers from - among other problems associated with her illness - hyper-joint mobility and hypermobility syndrome. One of the main symptoms affecting Jo is severe joint pain in her weight bearing joints, including her back, neck and shoulders.

The only way Jo is able to get out and about is via the use of a power chair, but sitting in one position, even after a short space of time, causes her extreme pain and discomfort. A new, state-of-the-art, power chair that can recline and tilt to alleviate these problems has been funded and supplied to help improve her quality of life. Jo said: “My new chair is absolutely brilliant and includes a number of technical features which have improved my comfort and overall mobility no end. The tilting mechanism removes pressure from my hips which is a big relief and the moulded seat design fits and supports my back perfectly. “In addition, the chair is much more compact than the old one and includes elevating foot rests which again, make doing simple everyday things like going to church or to a restaurant much easier for me.

I also don't need a manual wheelchair anymore which means I'm much less reliant on other people having to help me and this improved my life immensely.Jo's parents both worked in the electrical sector for a number of years, running their own electrical contracting business, which meant that she qualified for assistance from EEIBA. Jo added: EEIBA has been such a great help to me in many ways since I was first diagnosed 11 years ago. They've assisted with funding for several items, including the advance payment on my motobility car and the adaptation work that needed to be carried out on our home to allow for my wheelchair and the other equipment I need in my day to day life.

Supporting David* and his family.

We started working with with David in 2010.  David was a service engineeremployed by a major electrical contractor in the North West of England and contacted the EEIBA after he tragically lost his 13 year old daughter after a long battle with cancer.

During this very difficult time the EEIBA provided support and assistance with bills to ease some of their financial worries.

David and his wife have three remaining children aged 8, 10 & 15.  Within the last few weeks their youngest child has been diagnosed with a brain tumour and is currently undergoing further treatment.

Due to these circumstances David and his wife are both unable to work as their time is taken up with hospital visits and caring for their family.  To date the EEIBA has been delighted to provide financial support towards further household bills and commitments.

All of us at the EEIBA wish David and his family the very best with the treatment.

*Names have been changed for the purpose of this article.

If you have received support from the EEIBA and would like to share your story please contact  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.