Margaret Simpson, 93, from Peebles, says she is enjoying a new “zest for life” thanks to her new mobility scooter of the same name.
Margaret is a retired hairdresser who had a traumatic accident aged 50 and now finds walking a bit more difficult.
A car driver hit her when out walking which meant a long stay in hospital and years of recovery. However, although today she is still, as her daughter Maureen describes: “The same remarkable social butterfly she has always been despite being in continual pain. Mum has a zest for life in bucket loads and her scooter lets her be who she wants to be.”
Margaret has always loved people of all ages and now living alone, her latest TGA Zest scooter is a lifeline for visiting the shops and sharing “joyous” walks with her son-in-law.
A big part of Margaret’s life when her husband was alive was touring Scotland and hill walking. Now getting out is more difficult as Maureen said: “Mum is still up to speed in her head but her legs let her down these days. She still wants to do all the things she used to but knows she can’t, however her Zest makes a huge difference – she calls it her ‘magic carpet.’ The most special times for her are being able to go out with my husband, they talk so much and share fun times together. It’s so good for them to go out without me as I’m Mum’s full-time carer and can wrap her up in too much cotton wool. Going out makes her more resilient with a greater sense of freedom.”
Before her car-boot friendly Zest, Margaret had a TGA Eclipse scooter for ten years. This equally compact scooter never let her down so Maureen decided to contact TGA again for her mum’s next scooter: “Considering the 18 months we’ve just had, it was essential that my mum could continue getting out with confidence. However she needed a new scooter that had similar controls to her old one. We phoned TGA to ask for another Eclipse however they explained it had been replaced by the new improved Zest. Nevertheless the buttons and controls were the same which was ideal. Harry from TGA came to give my mum a test drive and she said yes so quickly to the new scooter. She was off in a flash.
“It was clear that Harry cared, I instantly warmed to him, and to Toni in the TGA office. There seem to be so few companies around these days that are genuinely bothered about their customers, not like TGA. We should all be caring for each other even more right now. We really like the fact that TGA is a family-run business as these kind of companies care. They look after their customers and staff which means people tend to be loyal. Harry was able to pull a few strings and gave my mum the demo Zest which was new of the peg and in the perfect silver colour she wanted. TGA staff do go the extra mile, a bit like mum’s scooter!”
Margaret’s daughter is a retired nurse and knows how vital mobility scooters are for many people. She added: “The joy on my mum’s face is unmatched when she goes out on her scooter. Her previous TGA Eclipse and new Zest have been an absolute Godsend during this pandemic – the lockdowns were like being in prison for her and her neighbours. I can see what a negative affect there has been on elderly people not going out. Muscle wastage, loss of balance and strength… I can unfortunately see problems skyrocketing when it comes to independence. Several of my mum’s neighbours have seen her on her scooter and think it is such a good idea as they’re desperate to get out as well. My mum has difficultly walking so without the scooter she’d be lost.”
Margaret can still go to the local village without the need for taxis or home deliveries. The butchers and bakers are particularly helpful as they come out of their shops to serve Margaret since she can’t get out of her scooter. When she visits the big supermarket she drives around the aisles easily and can put the scooter in the boot of her daughter’s car if needed.
Maureen said her mum is like “the bionic woman” bearing in mind all the injuries she has had to overcome. Her scooter is “simply wonderful” and is a way of helping Margaret manage her constant pain. She said: “Pain is tiring for anyone, however a scooter can help to offload some of this by sitting down in a comfortable seat. My mum can then go out relaxed and with confidence to enjoy the simple pleasures in life, such as visiting the park for an ice cream or just to watch kids kicking a football about. Considering all that she has been through, she is truly a remarkable lady and I’m proud she’s my mum.
“Seeing her whizzing around on her new silver Zest makes everyone smile, she fully deserves the joy and independence it brings.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
