In 2016, the day after Christmas, Callie’s life forever changed when she went into septic shock while pregnant with her son, Quinn. She lost her son and in the following months she had both of her legs below the knee amputated, along with her left index finger and thumb.
Callie spent over a year in the ICU wing of the hospital and the following six months in rehab and a long term acute care facility (LTAC). After being abruptly told by insurance that they were no longer going to pay for her stay in the LTAC she was quickly rushed home. The LTAC facility sent her home with a basic, bulky folding wheelchair because they were unsure of what she would need and unfamiliar with complicated cases such as hers.
Due to her hand limitations Callie spent the next two years unable to move the bulky wheelchair on her own. Trapped in that chair and thinking prosthetics was the answer she set her sight on obtaining them. When she finally received her prosthetics she was disappointed to find that they were heavy and difficult to move around in, in addition she couldn’t put her prosthetics on without her husband Kevin’s assistance - so she was forced to rely on the bulky hospital chair she was sent home with.
It was then when she realized that she needed a custom wheelchair to improve her mobility and provide her with true independence. Her doctor was surprised she didn’t have one already - so she approved the custom chair and Callie and Kevin immediately started working with Numotion to receive the custom chair she could finally be fully independent in.
Callie’s custom chair had already been created by Numotion when she received the devastating news: insurance had denied her custom chair. Her doctor couldn’t believe the news - so she scheduled a peer to peer review to explain Callie’s case and push through the approval. But the insurance company held to their original decision.They were not going to pay for her chair.
After many emotions and initial heartbreak, Callie shared what was happening regarding her chair on her Instagram page. Much to her surprise - it was shared by thousands and that’s when her story reached a kind stranger, Amy Bernhard. Amy heard her story and decided to take action. She started a GoFundMe to raise the money for Callie’s chair. The GoFundMe was fully funded in under 24 hours - completely blowing Amy, Callie and her family away.
Callie couldn’t call Numotion fast enough to let us happily know she could finally receive her chair!
After receiving her ‘pretty pink’ chair Callie said that it provided her the first taste of true independence. “Kenzi has no memory of a day where I have been independent. I’ve always been dependent on someone to push me around,” said Callie, “Now that I have this chair? It’s a game changer. We went out to eat with it for the first time and my daughter needed to use the restroom. Typically my husband would take her and that was always complicated. But because of my new chair, I happily said ‘I can take her!’ She hopped on my lap and together we took off to the bathroom. The whole time she was giggling and saying ‘you’re doing it, mommy! You’re really doing it!’ When we got back to the restaurant table she told Kevin all about what had happened. She said ‘daddy - we are big girls who use the big girl's bathroom!’ Something so simple, that I should have had the ability to do this entire time has been completely life-changing for me and my family.”
Callie is so thankful for her ATP, Bobby and the rest of her Numotion team - “Everyone was SO incredibly helpful throughout the entire process. In the ups and downs, I felt like my Numotion team was going through all the emotions with me. I feel like family. Bobby was so kind, professional and knowledgeable. He walked me through things I would have never thought of,” said Callie.
“I’m just so incredibly thankful for everyone who made this pretty pink chair a reality, and those who continue to cheer me on. I’m truly blessed.”