Introducing Our Founder
Amanda Steijlen is the founder of Wheely Big Dreams Inc.
She is a disability acceptance life coach, is working toward her masters degree in rehabilitation and mental health counseling, an instagram influencer advocating for disability and mental health , and also runs our very loved non-profit organization!
Amanda was diagnosed at age 12 with Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy Type 2A. This subtype is caused by a mutation of the Calpain-3 gene. It is a progressive disorder that causes muscle to continue to break down over time. There are currently no cures or treatments for this condition!
In 2014, Amanda was no longer able to walk and needed to use a wheelchair. Using a wheelchair and having a progressive disability is a whole new world from what most people encounter, and this life journey is what sent her on a path of discovering different adaptive devices and services in order to live in a world that just isn’t very accessible.
When she was young, she was very fortunate to have parents and grandparents that supported all of her medical equipment needs that were not covered by the insurance companies (and if you have a disability, you know just how insane of an amount that is).
The items that absolutely changed her life that were not covered by insurance are:
a wheelchair accessible vehicle
a manual wheelchair that is specially customized
a smart drive power wheel
unique shower benches
and most recently a rig from the company Not A Wheelchair!
Without the wheelchair accessible van, Amanda would not have been able to move out of her parents house to go to college and pursue her dreams.
Without the smart drive, she would have been limited in the places that she could go, and the distance she could travel in her chair.
And without the rig, (an offroading device for the disabled) she would not be able to go exploring around trails, national parks, and go on “runs” with her husband.
Because of all of these unaffordable life-changing adaptive devices not being covered by insurance, Amanda decided to create Wheely Big Dreams, to give to the disabled community in need and help others to change their quality of life!
We are so unbelievably thankful for her contribution to this nonprofit organization and we cannot wait to continue to help as many individuals as we can!
