Swifty – Pushchair

Wheelchair Description:
Four-wheeled buggy for children with disabilities. Folding frame with height adjustable footrest and push handle. Reclining backrest, breathable upholstery and padded ‘H’ shaped belt harness.

Source of Wheelchair:
Local Wheelchair & Mobility Services

Diagnosis:
Global Developmental Delay (GDD), Epilepsy & Hypotonia

Personal Opinion:
Our little boy Finley has Global Developmental Delay, Epilepsy and Hypotonia. Over the last year, he has managed to develop his motor skills, but we are still reliant on mobility aids most of the time.

The first experience we have had of using Special Needs equipment is when we got the ‘Thomashilfen Swifty’ Pushchair. For a long time, we used a standard stroller for Finley as we didn’t know adapted pushchairs existed! We were finding it more and more difficult to manage a standard stroller, as Finley tended to slouch in the seat and his legs would dangle at the sides of the footrest as he was too big for the stroller.

We did consider a wheelchair initially, however, we wanted something that would be both comfortable and manageable for Finley to transition to. The first thing that appealed to us, was some of the ‘pushchair features’ that the Swifty has which includes a reclining backrest, five-point harness and footrest. The Swifty also folds down easily to transport in a car or when travelling. We used it whilst on holiday in the USA and we were able to use the Swifty up to the Aircraft door. The staff then took it to the luggage hold for us. They recognised that it was a specially adapted pushchair and therefore needed to be treated the same way a wheelchair would be.

The Swifty served its purpose well for Finley during a time when he had limited mobility. Now that he has developed more, he walks when he can, and we use a wheelchair occasionally for trips out and longer walks. We switched to a wheelchair when he became more mobile, as we found the wheelchair is more lightweight and fits in all cars. The Swiftyworks great overall as an adapted pushchair, but you need to consider boot space and he can be a little weighty to lift in and out of vehicles.

Overall though, we will really impressed with this product and would recommend it to other families.