u/AdditionOk604

Hello everyone.

My name is Dmytro, I'm 55, wheelchair user with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. I live in Odesa, Ukraine.

For years I couldn't use the bathroom or toilet independently. The state doesn't care about disabled people here — zero funding, zero help. When you're drowning, you save yourself.

So I designed and built my own ceiling hoist. Running since September 2025 — almost a year of daily use.

What it is:

A 2.4 m steel I-beam under the ceiling. An electric trolley with a Prokraft 250 kg hoist rides along it. You clip in with two harnesses (chest + waist), lift yourself, move to bath / toilet / sink, lower down. One remote in your hand. Alone. No carer.

What it does:

— Get in and out of the bath independently

— Transfer from wheelchair to toilet and back — alone

— Manage clothing independently

— Works even with a loosely fastened harness

10 months of real-world lessons:

— M10×80 mm anchor bolts (but the dowels will also hold.)

— Position I-beam so cable drops 10–15 cm from bath edge

— Two harnesses mandatory — one causes dangerous forward tipping during lift

— Extend remote cable to 170 cm — standard 150 cm is too short when seated

— Store remotes in plastic bags — bathroom moisture damages contacts

I share everything for free: installation guide, full materials list, Q&A. Wheelchair users, veterans, elderly — anyone who needs it.

Comment below or DM me.

📍 Odesa, Ukraine 🇺🇦

Hello everyone. I have CMT — Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, Type 2. I'm 55, wheelchair user. I live in Odesa, Ukraine.

CMT took away my ability to use the bathroom independently. The state provides nothing — no equipment, no funding, no help. So I built my own ceiling hoist from scratch. Running since September 2024 — almost a year of daily use.

What I built:

A 2.4 m steel I-beam mounted under the ceiling. An electric trolley with a Prokraft 250 kg hoist rides along it. I clip into two harnesses (chest + waist), lift myself, travel to bath / toilet / sink, lower down. One hand-held remote. Alone. No carer needed.

CMT affects my hands and grip — so the system was designed to work with minimal hand strength. It does.

What it makes possible:

— Independent bathing (in and out of the tub alone)

— Wheelchair to toilet transfer — no help

— Managing clothing independently

— Works with weak grip and reduced hand dexterity

10 months of real-world lessons:

— M10×80 mm anchor bolts only — plastic plugs will fail under load

— Position I-beam so cable drops 10–15 cm from bath edge

— Two harnesses mandatory — one causes dangerous forward tipping during lift

— Extend remote cable to 170 cm — standard 150 cm is too short when seated in a wheelchair

— Store remotes in plastic bags — bathroom moisture damages contacts

Total cost: significantly less than commercial equivalents (which start at $1000+).

I share everything free: installation guide, full materials list, Q&A. Fellow CMT patients, wheelchair users, veterans, elderly — anyone who needs it.

Comment https://www.facebook.com/dimitrystanko

📍 Odesa, Ukraine 🇺🇦