In March of 2020, Kelly needed a better mobility solution. She contacted our M+D Team by sending an email with questions. She had done her research online and wanted to ensure that she chose the best mobility aid for her specific needs. She was delighted to see our YouTube videos of real M+D Crutch users and to learn that, like her, we are also located in Kansas City.

Like many of our users, Kelly lives with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. “I have bad knees and bad hips, and my quads fatigue easily and give out quickly. I often use a cane, but it’s not ideal for a lot of reasons. I would like to have a mobility aid that would help me climb stairs with more ease,” she said.

A couple weeks later, Kelly purchased a black pair of Refurbished M+D Crutches. Refurbished products are gently used units that have been returned. All returned products are inspected, sanitized, restored to like-new condition, and repackaged to be sold at a discount. Before finding M+D Crutches, Kelly was using an axillary crutch or her wheelchair and would experience frequent flareups. She had been searching for a better mobility solution for quite some time and was very excited to start learning how to use her M+D Crutches. “Finally having the M+D Crutches felt like freedom, I guess. It was a bit clumsy at first, but it felt good to know I can do basic errands with the support of the crutches and not have to rely on someone to push me around,” she said.

Like any new mobility aid, learning how to move comfortably with the M+D Crutches takes patience, time, and practice. In Kelly’s own words: “It felt really liberating to use the crutches for the first time. I felt kind of like a baby giraffe because I was super wobbly, but it was just really nice to know that I had more power and control over my body with the crutches.”

The M+D Team is available as a resource to help users adjust to the learning curve. Additionally, Kelly watched our training videos and reached out to our dedicated customer service team to get a better understanding of what to expect when she received her product.

Listen to Kelly talk about overcoming her learning curve.

Kelly is a local Kansas City artist and uses art as a form of therapy. As the importance of mental health becomes more prominent today, many have turned to art therapy to explore emotions, reduce anxiety, and increase self-esteem.

Art therapy is common among both able-bodied individuals as well as people who live with disabilities.

Dislocated joints have not stopped Kelly from creating beautiful art.

After seeing Kelly’s artwork, the Mobility Designed team was impressed! She is part of a growing community of disabled artists. “One thing I’m really passionate about is supporting individual artists. As an artist, I appreciate it more than anyone can know when people buy my art or support it. So I’m really passionate about going straight to the source instead of buying from big-box stores,” Kelly said.

Kelly’s Commissioned M+D Crutches

To promote Kelly’s amazing talent and her mission of supporting individual artists, Mobility Designed commissioned a pair of custom-painted crutches from Kelly. The painted M+D Crutches were donated to one of our partners, the Ehlers-Danlos Society, and will be received by a randomly selected EDS Warrior.

Go “straight to the source” and support Kelly’s art!

To learn more about Kelly’s mission and to purchase her artwork, visit her Etsy Store. You can also follow Kelly on Instagram.

Interested in exploring art therapy? Organizations like American Art Therapy Association have an abundance of resources to help you get started.