special needs stroller...axiom, liberty....others?

[cathicool]

I am just realizing that my 9year old son will not be able to fit in our double stroller come the middle of Sept. when we plan to come back "home". He has gained 13 lbs in the last 6weeks from daily prednisone and is now 72lbs and about 52 inches.

So I've called my insurance co to try and get a new (single-not double) stroller to accomodate him, -- they want a doc's letter and script which I can get next week. But the whole process is supposed to take a few months and that means no stroller for WDW. (YIKES!) I know I can rent one, and I guess we will do that.

My question is......I've looked at the strollers available and I definitely want something that looks like a jogger stroller (vs wheelchair). I'm focusing on the Axiom 3, Axiom 2 and Baby Jogger Liberty.

ANYONE have any one of these (or another suggestion) and want to share the good, the bad, the ugly about their stroller? I'd hate to spend $900-1200 on something I cannot touch and totally hate it once we get it. Noone near me has any of these strollers.

ANY feedback regarding the strollers is welcome!

Thank you!

 

[SueM in MN]

A good place to look at what us available is adaptive mall. They show a variety of different strollers with quite a bit of information about them.

http://www.adaptivemall.com/allstrolpus.html

Even though you have a while until you go, it's hard to tell how slowly the process might go. You might be better off renting at WDW because you would not have to worry about it arriving before your trip and you would have an opportunity to try out at least one before you buy.

 

[mysevendwarfs]

I have rented the Liberty twice for my daughter who is now 11. I liked it so much I am thinking about buying one. It is much more manageable for what I need it for than the Safari wheelchair I have been borrowing from our PT. We were in the same boat before our trip with the insurance and ordering one, but our PT's were also worried if insurance paid for it and she outgrew it that it is not "expandable" They were concerned we wouldn't be able to get another chair covered. I haven't made a decision on whether to just buy one or try to get insurance involved. I loved the Liberty for Disney in that it has a HUGE sunshade, is very maneuverable and is quite comfortable. She is about 51" tall and weighs about 55 lbs. The Liberty is much bigger than a typical jogging stroller. It fits through all the lines fine. It was perfect for her as she could rest in it as well, which is difficult for her in a wheelchair. If you are using it as a wheelchair , you would need a stroller as a wheelchair tag as it is not obvious that it is not just a supersize stroller. Hope you find what you need. Have a great trip. Btw, we rented both times from Orlando Strollers. They were awesome.

 

[dntd]

We have a convaid cruiser stroller and it's a godsend. It fold up really nicely.As convaid strollers are expandable it allows for growth. I find my DD's doesn't look too babyish either.My DD got to choose her colour so that helped with her acceptance of it, also as it has a tie down the buses can tie her in the stroller w/o having to fold it.

 

[christymarie]

The Liberty is also nice because it has the two wheels in front which helps you maneuver. It does take up a lot of space in the van so keep that in mind.

 

[ireland_nicole]

We really researched before we bought ours. In the end, insurance went back and forth and really fought us on it, and we paid out of pocket. We did look at the BJ, but I'm short, and it's super high with the sunshade done and I couldn't really see over it. I was also worried about managing the weight since I have an autoimmune condition. We couldn't afford the convaids, so kept looking and ended up with a stealth flash. it's discontinued, but there are still some available. It might not work for you, but DD absolutely loves it. We ended up purchasing an inexpensive sunshade extendor over the canopy, and it brings it around for her so she can continue to "nest" in it. It is amazingly easy to fold, and not too heavy to lift, fits well in the back of the car, and has made two international trips well. FWIW, as I understand it, most insurance companies will not cover special needs "strollers" but will cover "wheelchairs" so it depends on if it has codes for insurance billing or not.

 

[cathicool]

thanks for the replies! calling the insurance company again tomorrow to see if I can get "more specifics" on their policy.

 

[NotUrsula]

There is someone selling an older Kelty Joyrider on ebay at the moment; the auction looks like it ends very soon and the current bid is $70. (I don't have anything to do with the auction, but I knew that the Joyrider would work for your situation and just looked to see if any might be for sale.)

The Joyrider isn't made anymore, but it would probably be great for you for WDW. It folds much more compactly than most joggers, and it weighs less than 25 lbs. but is rated to 85 lbs. The rear wheels do come off for transport, but they are easy to remount, as they are bike wheels.

 

[cathicool]

just an update..... we've settled on getting the axiom 3 improv.....

we submitted all the paperwork thru our primary insurance. the ins. co called their DME co (that I was working with) and told them they would approve the claim as a rental. The cashier who answered the phone at the DME co told me "I didn't want to argue with the ins co, so I just agreed with whatver they said". So I spoke to the sales mgr at the DME co and she said that the claim was approved as a rental, but after 12 months it would convert to a purchase. (Huh?) So I'd have to pay for 12 months and then I'd be allowed to keep it. BUT the DME co was not willing to order the pushchair because the cost of purchasing the pushchair outweighed the amount they would get after I paid the "usual and customary" amount (as per the ins. co) in the 12 months.

So the DME co had me get another Rx with a different code to resubmit to the ins. co. It was submitted to the same case mgr at the ins co, who knew the DME co would not purchse the chair without a purchase approval from the ins. co. Well, guess what, now the ins. co DENIED the claim! Yep, the reason???? Because the doctor wrote my son can walk a max of 50 ft., so he can navigate the inside of his home!

DME co, said basically, sorry....have a nice day. Ins. co said I could appeal. So now we are persuing my son's 2ndary ins to see if they will approve the claim.

How do you go from an approval to a denial in 2 days? What was the difference if it was a rental or a purchase? I just don't get it. His needs certainly didn't change. And it's not like he has a transient condition....like a broken leg....his condition is permanant and life-long. I just don't get it.