Two legs bad, four wheels good (or how I learned to get around and stop worrying)

Dr Susan Turner, who has Multiple Sclerosis, wrote to Wider Horizons.

I've always liked a challenge and solving problems, but this one looked as if it was too much even for me to handle. Walking, something I'd loved doing, took for granted and spent whole holidays doing, was getting increasingly difficult and I couldn't see a way out of it.

The occupational therapists and the wheelchair service were very useful but their solution actually caused me more problems getting out of the house than it solved.

The life as we had known it had changed so drastically now I could not walk and I didn't know how we could still share the things we enjoyed like walking holidays. The solution came in two parts. The first was a personal mobility scooter, which meant I could out on my own for local trips. It is chunky enough to be able to go cross-country and through the woods and even across pavements.

Now I was partway there, I started getting more ambitious. What else could I do? I didn't just want to go on local trips - I wanted to g to wild, quiet, remote, dramatic places where we could walk all day. I wanted long holidays to beautiful areas with amazing scenery. I wanted places where my husband could cycle, and where we wouldn't see houses or people all day.

Problem solved. I discovered through Gowrings Mobility that there are vehicles that will take my scooter, me, my husband, his bike, our suitcases, walking boots, a packed lunch and the thermos and still be comfortable. Since we've had the Chrysler Voyager, we've been much more adventurous than I ever though possible since my legs deteriorated.

We started in a small way with weekends away and walks of half a day or so. I've been researching scooter and wheelchair accessible walks along the country, have joined the Disabled Ramblers and am using the Gowrings Mobility Atlas to help explore different towns. We found the walking in the wild country is something we can both still do and enjoy, and have just spent a wonderful week in the Peak District. It really is a case of two legs bad? Don't worry - there is a solution. Four wheels are not just good, they're great!

Susan Turner

The Chrysler Voyager is no longer part of our vehicle range, however you may like to look to our current MPV wheelchair accessible vehicle range which includes the Vauxhall Zafira and the Chrysler Grand Voyager.

Alternatively we may have a Voyager available in our used vehicle stock.