'I've been trapped upstairs in my house for five years'
15.03.2024 - 22:47
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A woman with severe medical needs has been confined to the upstairs of her home for FIVE YEARS - because the lift she needs to get downstairs is too small.
Michelle Phillips, who lives on Kennerley Road in Davenport, Stockport, has numerous complex conditions and uses a wheelchair. Her mobility is made worse by the fact she is unable to bend one of her knees.
The council-installed lift at her privately-owned home isn't long enough to fit her and her chair inside. It means the 51-year-old has been trapped upstairs for half a decade.
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Michelle said her previous lift worked for years and helped her maintain her independence. When it malfunctioned, a new one was put in, funded by a disabled facilities grant, but it turned out to be too small.
As she has to keep her left leg out straight, the lift is around 15cm too short. She marked the five-year anniversary on Friday (March 15) by putting the number of days she has been inside in her upstairs window - 1,827.
The former nursery worker said the sign - and balloons outside - give her a feeling of contact with the outside world as passers-by ponder her situation.
Michelle, who has a number of conditions and survived a stroke, will soon need hospital treatment. She's worried her health will deteriorate if the problem isn't solved soon and is pleading for help.
"I've lost five years of life that I'll never get back," Michelle said. "I've fought and fought to get out of here. I've done everything I can. I've phoned lift companies. I've had 16 people in this room for a meeting, but I haven't managed to get out.
"It's not that I want anybody to pay for it, my late parents will pay for it, but I just