Five years after her leukemia diagnosis, nothing in Lisanne Wagner’s life is the same as before. The treatment was intense: chemotherapy, stem cell transplantation, great hope. But her body did not accept the transplanted stem cells. A severe rejection reaction followed.
Since then, many things have changed. Lisanne has paralysis in both arms. She can stretch and bend her right arm a little, but the left is completely paralyzed. In addition, her cervical spine is unstable, so she can only walk with limitations. She is permanently dependent on a ventilator. There is no prognosis as to whether her condition will fundamentally improve again.
On top of that, she experienced an atypical course of illness with severe anemia that left her extremely weak. Her body had almost no strength. With every new limitation, it became clearer that life as it had been before would no longer be possible.
Cycling had always been a part of her.
Lisanne comes from a family that loves cycling. Their bikes always came along on holiday. Being active outdoors, covering distances, simply setting off – that was part of who she was.
After the stem cell transplant, she even bought herself a gravel bike. To train again, to ride everywhere again, and to find her way back to an active life.
But then the rejection began. At first there were small signs of paralysis, then more and more. Eventually it was no longer possible. Cycling suddenly became impossible.
“I missed the person I once was,” she says today.
She could still ride along in a cargo bike or on a tandem. But she was dependent. She was on the bike, but she wasn’t the one riding it.
A trike that doesn’t feel like a compromise
Eventually a medical supply store introduced her to a trike for adults: the Kettwiesel ONE.
At the first appointment in our Schaltwerk in Waltrop, it quickly became clear that an off-the-shelf solution would not be enough. Lisanne cannot use her hands, her upper body stability is limited, and she depends on a ventilator.
So we adapted the Kettwiesel ONE for her:
– shoulder steering instead of a conventional handlebar
– a specially developed knee brake with folding mechanism
– custom components produced with 3D printing
– a large rear bag for the ventilator and shopping
“The team found a solution for every single problem,” Lisanne sums up.
Riding again. Deciding for herself again.
Today Lisanne gets on her trike and rides off. Without being pushed or transported like a piece of luggage. “With the Kettwiesel, it feels like you’re riding a normal bicycle,” she says.
Thanks to the good suspension, she rides safely even on uneven paths. On bike tours with family or friends, she can easily keep up and often even rides ahead. The trike for adults gives her stability without feeling heavy or cumbersome.
It also changes how people perceive her:
“In a wheelchair I often get sympathetic looks. On the Kettwiesel, people see me very differently. They don’t even notice that I’m not using my hands.”
More than mobility
Cycling also trains her legs, and walking has become easier again. But above all, something has returned that had been missing for a long time: freedom and joy of life.
“I get on the bike and ride off,” says Lisanne. “The Kettwiesel ONE makes me happy. It changed my life.”
Real Stories, Real People, Real Bikes
On our blog, we not only post stories about real people whose lives were changed by our bikes,
but also share information about Hase Bikes events
in Waltrop and worldwide.
Cycling with arm paralysis: Lisanne’s Kettwiesel ONE with shoulder steering
Cycling with epilepsy – with our Tandem Pino E
