Talking With Michael Graves

Ms. Peri: I would appreciate being able to get a message to Mr. Graves to ask if he could help me with a difficult situation I have. I have had multiple ministrokes since having chemotherapy for breast cancer 30 years ago. I have axonal sensorimotor polyneuropathy in my legs and gait ataxia as a result of that chemo. I now have autoimmune hepatitis from contaminated blood I received 30 years ago during a mastectomy. The autoimmune hepatitis has caused me to have Stage IV cirrhosis of the liver (nonalcoholic) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in my lungs. I have been on chemotherapy and high doses of steroids for almost four years, and have definitely weakened under that. I am still determined to keep going to watch my grandsons play baseball, basketball, and football, and go to music events where other grandsons are quite fine musicians in bands. I use a walker to stabilize myself and currently use an Invacare Rollite Rollator (had it before I knew about your gizmo). I also have to use oxygen at 5-6 lpm when walking. I have Respironics EverGo by Phillips which weighs 10 pounds. I have been putting it on my walker seat when I go out which I cannot do very often because of the struggle to breathe and manage all of the equipment. When I become exhausted trying to walk and breathe, I need to sit down on the seat, so I have to put the EverGo on the floor. It comes equipped with a luggage cart, but I haven't figured out how to pull a cart and stabilize myself with my walker to keep from falling. It's like walking, talking, chewing gum, and trying to run a foot race at the same time. I need some setup for me whereby I could use your hybrid rollator and have a place for the Evergo somewhere out of the way, yet easily accessible when I need to plug it in to recharge it while I am at all-day doctors' visits in Pittsburgh which is 75 miles away from where I live. Would it be possible for a modification to be made so that I can take care of myself by getting in and out of my Ford Windstar van without too much difficulty breathing? I am hoping you can tell me what to do and how to do it. I am 70 years old and not ready to completely give up and just sit in my chair. I still have things to do. Thank you very much for any help you have time to give. You have done so much with your talents for people who cannot do for themselves, and your efforts are much appreciated. Oh, I forgot to tell you that I drive with hand controls on my van because of the jerking in my legs and feet. Also, I live alone having lost my husband to a glioblastoma brain tumor 14 years ago. Thank you, Ms. Peri, for helping to communicate my message to Mr. Graves.

Thank you so much for this article/interview. I did not know Mr Graves had become wheelchair bound. As a healthcare provider, I can guarantee you that many designs need changing. I also have an aging parent who goes to dialysis 3 times a week. There are many issues related with this. My mother has devised one item to make the dialysis process to be a little easier. Would love to find a way to market/produce it. I also have a nephew who had to have half of his brain removed when he was an infant. He is now a young adult. He has issues as a result of his initial surgery. It would be great to see shows like Project Runway have a challenge that involved health related issues. There are other shows it would be wonderful to show the issues that the disabled or aging population have to adapt. The Home Makeover show does that occasionally. Thank you for this wonderful article. Continued success to Mr Graves and continue with your innovative powers. People like you are our future.

Thank you for bringing your expertise to the world of the disabled. I hope you will be represented at the Abilities Expo in Los Angeles and other cities. My son is profoundly developmentally disabled since he contracted viral encephalitis at age 6 weeks. He is now 32 yo. We have yet to find a wheelchair that he cannot destroy. We always believed he should be a product tester.

Though obviously written at least four years ago, this article's ideas are still quite valid. There's still a dearth of well-designed products and too little good competition. However, Mr. Graves misses the mark with his comments about stem cell research. All the actual treatments and cures have come from adult and cord-blood stem cells. No one -- churches, ethicists, politicians, etc. -- has a problem with these non-embryonic methods. Yet sadly, Mr. Graves, Mr. Reeves, and many others keep up the clamor for embryonic stem cell research, which has produced nothing and has cost billions. You don't have to be religious to object to curing adult human beings by killing embryonic human beings.

Really interesting article - there's so little style in aids for daily living. Great to get someone like Michael's perspective on it! Kudos to him for persevering...life is imperfect and beautiful!

I think you could take this article and adapt it to your loved one's mobility needs or pain issues. Try putting yourself in their shoes (sometime, literally). Before buying anything, try it on for size yourself. Try to make sure the equipment is going to 'fit' their needs. Sit in the wheelchair. See if the rail next to the toilet is at the right height for them. Measure their height and see if the bed is too high - that may be why they'd rather sleep in the recliner -- so it would be safer to get up at night to get to the bathroom, for instance. Be a REALLY GOOD CONSUMER. Go to the internet and read about it. Then, ask every question you can think of. And don't be afraid to call back again if you have more questions. About DESIGN - this is going to be a huge growth industry in the coming years. As these Baby Boomers age, they are going to expect more and better products to handle their needs with health, immobility, pain, etc. Nice article.