Bridgid Schwilling spent most of her days stuck in bed in Leavenworth, Kansas, after the tilt function on her motorized wheelchair broke last month. The 2026 breakdown left her without a feature she depends on to relieve the severe body pressure that comes with cerebral palsy, a condition that keeps her from sitting for long periods in a standard wheelchair.
Schwilling had an in-home appointment with NuMotion in Leavenworth on September 23, according to KMBC, but the company told her the repair could take another six to eight weeks. That timeline meant more days confined to bed, and she said the toll was physical as well as logistical. “Every day I'm in bed, I lose strength and stamina,” Schwilling said, according to the station's report.
KMBC 9 Investigates reporter Matt Flener contacted NuMotion after Schwilling asked for help, and the station reports her wheelchair was repaired weeks later. She received the repaired chair this week and said she believes the station's story accelerated the fix by about a month, though that acceleration is her own assessment rather than something NuMotion has confirmed.
Back Outside After Weeks Indoors
The difference showed up almost immediately. On Thursday, Schwilling and her service dog, Frazier, spent six and a half hours outdoors — the first extended stretch outside in weeks. “Frazier and I are free,” she said, per the same account.
Schwilling has become an advocate for others facing what she calls undesirable wheelchair repair timelines. “No person should have to wait six to eight to 12 weeks without equipment,” she said, adding that she believes more people raising concerns will drive change.
NuMotion Cites Privacy Rules, Points to Systemic Issues
NuMotion said it could not comment on Schwilling's specific case because of health privacy laws, but the company acknowledged systemic issues affecting repairs of complex rehabilitation technology. A company spokeswoman said repair timelines vary based on repair type and complexity, parts availability, payer requirements and technician scheduling, and that there is no single standard wheelchair repair wait time in the Kansas City area. The company also said it works with customers who are without equipment to identify the safest available option based on their individual needs and equipment.
NuMotion separately notes on its website that bringing equipment into a branch, rather than waiting for an in-home visit, can provide access to more staff, tools and parts for quicker repairs.
A Pattern Beyond One Kansas Household
Schwilling's experience echoes complaints raised nationally about the wheelchair repair industry. According to NPR, the repair market is now dominated by just two companies, NuMotion and National Seating & Mobility, and some users have reported waiting three, five, nine months or longer for replacement parts. Critics cited by NPR argue that companies are investing more in selling new chairs, which brings in more revenue, than in fixing existing ones. Wheelchair suppliers told NPR that insurance approval requirements contribute to some delays, while acknowledging that the repair process must be faster and more efficient.
Similar waits have surfaced elsewhere. A Knoxville man, Will Roberts, who cannot walk because of hereditary spastic paraplegia, waited five weeks in 2023 for replacement wheelchair tires before NuMotion sent a repairman who finished the tire and armrest work in about six hours, according to WATE. And a 2022 report from Mother Jones found that Douglas Howey waited more than 80 days for NuMotion to replace a wheelchair part after he first called for service.
Lawmakers Target Repair Delays
In Massachusetts, wheelchair users told lawmakers that repairs often take months or more than a year, causing people to miss work and family obligations, get stuck at home and develop health problems, as reported by GBH. Those users reportedly have just two options for repairs, NuMotion and National Seating & Mobility. A bill that would have required companies to finish repairs within 10 business days, order parts within three days and drop prior authorization requirements for smaller repairs stalled when the state legislature ended its formal session.
At the federal level, Rep. Ayanna Pressley's office described Medicare Advantage-related red tape that can place wheelchair repairs on hold for months, saying her proposed legislation was meant to streamline repair services, according to a release from the Office of Rep. Ayanna Pressley. For Schwilling, the policy debate is secondary to the simple relief of being back outside with Frazier after weeks spent mostly in bed, waiting for a part of her independence to be restored.
