Get Kattie Mobile

Hi everyone! My name is Kattie. I was diagnosed with Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis in 2006, and it has been a journey since then. I’m tremendously lucky to have an incredible husband and a fabulous little boy, and in 2018 I had a stem cell transplant that gave me four incredible years where I had no symptoms and no progression of my MS. 

However, in November 2022, a new lesion was found on my brain that has severely impacted my left side, making it extremely difficult to walk, which is affecting my job, my family life, and maybe more than anything else, my ability to feel like a full and complete human. 

That’s why I’m raising money for a Zeen, a new mobility device that will not only make me safer and more mobile but will change how I’m able to interact with and give back to the world around me. 

Since the new lesion was found, I’ve been using a scooter to get around. It lets me be mobile, but being in a scooter means I’m not at eye level with those around me. It’s hard enough having a disability, but not being able to look people in the eye makes you feel less than human. What’s more, it makes other people treat you as less than human. 

I have a fabulous employer that’s giving me opportunities to meet people and represent the company by attending important conferences and events with them. I work for a nonprofit whose mission is about helping people get access to the healthcare and resources they need to be healthy and live well; it’s a mission I’m passionate about and honored to be able to support. But not being able to stand for long periods of time and having to use my scooter means I’m often left out of key conversations and am not able to form the connections and relationships that would help me advance in my career—which means I’m not able to help the people my organization serves to my fullest potential. 

With the Zeen, I would be able to use my legs and work on building muscle in them. I would also be able to rest when I need to while remaining at eye level with those around me. It will make me more effective as an employee and more present as a wife and mother, as I’ll have an easier time getting out and about with my family without worrying about getting too fatigued or falling, which is a serious safety risk for me. I will have greater independence, security, and safety, which won’t just benefit me, but all those around me too.