“I believe that no other company has taken such a holistic approach to people who have varying needs.”

The Beginning

In 2007, Deby was diagnosed with breast cancer, forcing her to begin an exhausting programme of treatment to beat the disease. As a result of the cancer spreading, she was later diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2011, affecting her mobility. As an avid cyclist and hiker, it was incredibly difficult for Deby to adjust to the fact that she might not be able to do either activity thereafter. The radiotherapy treatment also left Deby with weakness on one side of her body, and vision loss in one eye.

However, despite all setbacks, Deby’s husband, Paul Chick MBE, set out to find a suitable three-wheel, power-assisted trike that would allow Deby to continue to enjoy the outdoors and keep fit, healthy and active.

 

The Challenge

Deby had become very dependent on friends and family to get out and about as a result of her poor vision. Public transport was limited and inaccessible, and more significantly, Deby did not have the confidence to go out by herself. Their daughter, Katie, had a Tomcat trike, but it wasn’t right for Deby, and the weakness on the right side of her body meant she had limited cycling strength, making power-assist a necessity.

To make the bike effective, it needed:

  • To have a power-assist option
  • To be something that Deby could use to get out and about independently
  • To be something she felt confident using
  • Transportability

 

The Solution

Given the success of a Tomcat trike with Katie, Tomcat seemed like an obvious choice. However, Paul did a vast amount of research into trike manufacturers around the UK that could build a power-assisted trikes, wanting to ensure that the trike would be fit for purpose. He used a ‘user requirement matrix’ to do his research, and, when the Tomcat E-Bullet came out at 98% against his criteria, versus the competitors in the region of 42%, this only solidified the choice: The Tomcat E-Bullet would be the perfect option for Deby to get back outdoors!

 

The Result

As a result of owning an E-Bullet, Deby has been able to go on independent shopping trips, visit her mother and father about two miles away, and visit the hospice every week – a similar distance – without having to rely on family members to take her about.

“The Tomcat E-Bullet has given me the freedom and independence I have been craving since 2011! The comments I receive about the trike have been so positive and it encourages people to talk to me and have a conversation. I can easily pull away on the E-Bullet without having to find too much energy in the first instance, and when I’m riding, it’s so easy to manoeuvre. Best of all, Paul can transport it at the back of the car with ease. I just love it.”

She joined a cycling event in Southampton later in the year, increasing the mileage on the Bullet, and knew that one thing was for sure: by being able to cycle, it meant that her fitness, health, and spirit would remain positive.