A Tale of Two Mothers - Amelia & Clare share their mission this Mother's Day
2005 was the year our lives changed forever, a huge shock followed by an uncertain future following my accident. Falling off a quad bike, severing my spinal cord and becoming partially but permanently paralysed from my waist down shook our whole family unit, as well as friends, to the core. Whilst the winter of 2005 was a dark one, what followed was resoundingly positive.
Designing, sourcing and launching Cool Crutches became so much more than a business idea for us. With a sea of doctors, hospitals, physios and more staring at us we were looking at hours, months, years talking about my injury. The focus from that fateful day was firmly on the negative, what I had lost, what I couldn't feel, couldn't move and couldn't do now but also for the rest of my life. How will she work? How will she meet someone? How will she have children? The opportunities to panic were plenty!
BUT, when we started looking at crutches and how we could improve them, almost immediately there was a shift. From the drab grey reality came a colourful future filled with possibility and hope. What we could change, how we could help, which in turn would mean what could I do with them, what could we do with a business that sold them. Gone were the grim questions about my injury and in came hundreds of excited ones about how we were going to start a business and all the people we might be able to help!
The idea behind starting the business was mum's, I was honestly in a pit of panic. Terrified about the future and concentrating on hour by hour, not even day by day, surviving. Mum was the one who could see the wider need, the need for something different for us to focus on but that could genuinely change the future for people like me, navigating a sudden diagnosis, injury or disability. To flip the narrative around disability and bust the myth we don't care about what we do, look like or how we feel. The notion that everyone with a disability felt and looked miserable was overwhelming in hospital in 2005 and it simply wasn't true. In the next door room to me was a beautiful model who had broken her neck but still remained the most glamorous woman on the ward, a full face of make up and gorgeous clothes went on every day. Disability doesn't change who you are, we needed to create something that allowed this to shine through, not to be dulled or destroyed!
At the core of our business is a mother helping her child, we spent a year together out of work, out of university and focused on 'getting better'. What happened was we designed a physical product I could use, that meant I could walk and no longer rely on my wheelchair, that gave me back my independence aand hope that we could help so many more. At the same time what my mum created the best medicine, our business. It kept us both well immediately after my injury, but has gone on to give me purpose and confidence permanently too. Being able to make a positive difference to other people every day is Nothing short of a huge privilege.
It's no surprise that now I too am a mother, our next venture is one for children. We both know now the overwhelming responsibility of being a parent, the love you have for your children and then unwavering dedication to helping them. It's shocking to know the walking aids currently available on the market are still basic, often not certified, uncomfortable with a loud clicking and with no option to customise or bring joy to something most children aren't keen on using. We will change that, next month we launch our children's crutches. To give children a chance to use comfortable, colourful, silent and safe crutches to support their rehab but also disability and future life. To make them want to use them and think, 'do you know what, these crutches are cool'!
Not just for children though, but for mums too. For mothers like us who will do anything to help their children have the best chance in life, regardless of injury or disability.
Wishing you all a Happy Mother's Day, past present and future mums all deserve love so we are sending it to you all.
Amelia x
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