The $250,000 Wheelchair

by Jesse Beyer

Edith Schaeffer has always had a passion for gardening.  She gardens over an acre of land in Lacombe County.  Edith even teaches gardening classes to almost 25 students on her farm.  She teaches them how to plant, maintain and harvest their very own vegetables.  She also has a herd of beef cattle, two llamas and two cats.  Now this is a tall order for any person to balance, but Edith does all this from a wheelchair.  Edith’s legs are both amputated from the knee up.  But her passion is still alive and well when it comes to gardening.

She explains as she looks at her empty garden. “When you see a patch like that, you just know I need to get out into it.” 

Edith knew this year was going to be a challenge, so she called the University of Alberta mechanical engineering program to see if they could help.  She got in touch with Curt Stout, in January.  He informed her that students were picking their yearly projects, and to make a list of what she wants the wheelchair to have.  She did get a call back, and four students want to take on the challenge of building her a one of a kind wheelchair. 

Nick named the “Loam Ranger” the unit is estimated to be $250,000.  All the material, and time put into the project will be donated.  The students say the hardest part of the design is measuring the density of fresh soil.  The design will have tracks like a tank, and have a chair that will lower right to the soil level so that Edith will be able to pick and plant her own vegetables.  She is very happy with the students,

“They’re doing a fantastic job, they’re thinking of things I wouldn’t have.”

Edith feels the machine will give her freedom in not only the garden, but will give her back her independence around her whole farm.  She hopes the machine will be ready in time to use this year, but the chances are slim.  The students estimate that it will be ready just after this summer.

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