Nuneaton News
A DISABLED woman who cannot wash herself or go to the toilet alone is having to fork out thousands of pounds for a wet room.
Laura Roper, 27, from Nuneaton, hasn’t been able to walk for around 18 months and is unable to have a shower in her own home.
She desperately needs a wet room to give her independence but will not receive any funding and cannot afford to pay £3,000 to have it fitted.
Laura suffers from antihospholipid syndrome, a disorder of the immune system which causes increased risk of blood clots; reactive hypoglycaemia, which has similar effects to diabetes; pernicious anaemia, caused by inability to absorb vitamins to make enough healthy red blood cells; and polyneuropathy, which is damage or disease to nerves.
All of the conditions combined stopped her being able to walk.
In 2012, Laura gave birth to a stillborn baby called Lexi, and it was then that doctors discovered her conditions.
Laura has not stood up or walked for a year-and-a-half and has now been told she is not entitled to funding for a wet room because her boy- friend works. She said: “He works in telesales, it’s not big bucks, that’s quite basic. I have had to have a wash on the bed and now I’m not getting any funding for this. I think it’s just unacceptable.”
A Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council spokesperson said: “Unfortunately the means-testing process is very strict, and because Laura is now living with her boyfriend, this means that both their finances are taken into account.
“The result of this is she doesn’t meet the funding criteria as set by national government.
“The council does provide practi- cal assistance in these cases, for example helping residents to access contractors familiar with the type of works being requested and if required helping to arrange those works on behalf of customers.”
Keen to do all they can to help Laura out, people have come forward to raise the funds for the muchneeded wet room.
Currently, carers visit Laura’s home and wash her by filling up a washing up bowl with hot water while she is on her bed.
She said: “It’s a bit degrading, you go from having independence and being quite a normal person to hav- ing to be washed by strangers. I have to rely on so many people for things, even small things like if I’m in bed and I drop something on the floor, I can’t just pick it up.
“It’s a real shock not being able to do things you used to be able to do so easily.”
It’s not just washing that is difficult for Laura, becoming disabled has also changed her ability to use the toilet normally.
Having a wet room would make going to the toilet easier for Laura and would mean she could shower without her carers.
She said: “I just think it would make me so much happier and it would give me much more independence. At the moment I’m so reliant on the carers and they are on a tight schedule so everything has to be done at a certain time.
“If you wanted a lie in and they’re coming you couldn’t have one because that’s the time that you’re in for. If I had a wet room my partner could shower me at night and I could take my time.”
This is not the first time Laura’s friends have come forward to help her out. Last year, £5,000 was raised to buy her an electric wheelchair as she did not meet the NHS criteria.