Dunedin student smashes $9000 goal after wheelchair destroyed in crash

A 20-year-old Dunedin student and volunteer has smashed her fundraising goal after her wheelchair was destroyed when she was hit by a car at a pedestrian crossing.

Jamie Stillwell, a physics student at the University of Otago and a volunteer leader with Girl Guiding New Zealand, was struck on Macandrew Rd in South Dunedin on April 14.

According to her Givealittle page, Stillwell said the crash left her wheelchair damaged beyond repair and worsened an existing medical condition that already limited her mobility.

Jamie Stillwell's wheelchair was destroyed when she was hit by a car on a South Dunedin crossing on April 14. Photo / Givealittle

“I rely on my wheelchair to live my life,” she wrote.

“Without it, I can’t continue my studies, my volunteering, or participate in my community.”

Stillwell, who has a genetic disorder, said on the page that she had experienced complications over the past year that made walking more than a few metres unaided impossible.

Her wheelchair had enabled her to continue teaching physics workshops, volunteering with Girl Guides, and taking part in community events in central Dunedin.

However, she said she is not eligible for public funding for a replacement.

“The chair I was using was one I funded myself, and I don’t have the means to replace it,” she wrote.

Stillwell estimated a new wheelchair would cost about $9000, and launched an online fundraising campaign to cover the cost.

As of Wednesday, the page showed more than $10,480 had been raised, surpassing the original goal.