The sky’s the limit for a Fife man normally confined to a wheelchair.
Losing his independence following a diagnosis of MS has been hard to bear for Iain Donaldson-Elder.
Normally restricted to his chair or bed, the former recruitment consultant from Crossford has been given respite at Leuchie House, Scotland’s only centre for people with long term neurological and physical conditions and their carers.
To say thanks, he has taken to a microlight to raise funds – so far more than £4,000 – and awareness of the East Lothian charity.
Iain, 56, said respite has been a lifeline for both him and his wife Janet, who is his main carer.
The loss of independence, particularly since giving up work in 2015, was one of the hardest things Iain has had to deal with.
“When I’m at home, I’m restricted to my chair or my bed,” he explained.
“I’m not able to wheel myself around the house because the doors are too narrow and I can’t go out and about without someone to accompany me.”
Last year Iain and his wife were given some local authority support to allow him to stay at Leuchie House.
“I can honestly say Leuchie House has changed our lives,” he said.
“I’d say that when I’m at home I feel about half the person I used to be.
“When I’m at Leuchie I feel 150%”
As well as support and the social aspect, the space means he can get around in his wheelchair, giving him some level of independence.
“But probably the most important thing of all for me is that my wife gets the chance to have a proper break,” he added.
After his last visit Iain decided he wanted to do something to say thank you.
He knew that the team at East of Scotland Microlights had supported other Leuchie guests to do flights so it seemed the perfect challenge.
After taking on the challenge, Iain heard that one of the friends he’d made at Leuchie, Carole Black, had passed away.
This gave him even greater motivation and he pledged to do the flight in her memory.
He took off from East Fortune with pilot Graeme Ritchie on a 30-minute flight he described as outstanding.
He added: “Being able to do the flight just goes to show that there are no limits – you can do virtually anything when you have something to motivate you.”
Leuchie’s fundraising manager Lana Bambridge said: “Iain’s commitment and focus in raising funds for Leuchie have been remarkable.
She said the microlight flight would have been a challenge for most people, even without the added complexity of having MS.
“He took it completely in his stride,” Lana added.
