San Leandro Man Invents Portable Shower For Wheelchair Users | Showering Enthusiast

Inside Bay Area:

Imagine what it would be like every morning to get out of bed and contemplate whether to take a shower, either because it might take too long to get in it or because of the fear of falling and lying helplessly there, wet and alone.

For most people, it probably never crosses their minds.

But if you use a wheelchair, it could be one of the most difficult decisions you have to make all week.

San Leandro resident Larry Arnold saw this firsthand when he had to take care of his mother, who had Alzheimer’s disease, used a wheelchair and had a fear of getting wet.

Determined to help her get over her fear and enjoy what most people might take for granted — a hot shower — he invented a device that took all his mother’s problems away: a portable shower, called the FAWSsit. And the device has steadily been catching wind.

And with so many soldiers these days coming home badly wounded — and inadequate care for them when they return — Arnold now sees another purpose for his device.

Helping disabled veterans.

“If you’re disabled and you’re a vet, the first thing you want to do when you get out of the hospital is take a shower,” Arnold said. “But we’re not prepared to take care of vets coming home with a missing leg (or something like that). This makes the transition a whole lot easier.”

Out of the 52 million disabled Americans, 12 million of them use a wheelchair, according to the AARP.