Lauren Brownlie
AN amputee who has to crawl up and down concrete stairs every time she leaves her flat has told how she has been stripped of her dignity.
Tracey Whiteside, 47, had her left leg amputated below the knee in August 2020 after suffering lifelong pain.
Renfrewshire Council was advised of the planned surgery beforehand and, although Tracey has been on the housing list for relocation since November 2019, she is still waiting for a move more than four years later.
This is despite several pleas from herself and health officials, who have submitted letters to the local authority to highlight that the first-floor flat in Cowal Drive, Linwood, is not suitable.
Tracey, who feels trapped inside, enjoyed long walks before the life-changing surgery.
She has lived in the flat with her husband, who also suffers from serious health conditions, and her teenage daughter since November 2017.
“I love this flat,” Tracey said. “If we could take this flat and move it somewhere on the ground floor, we would be delighted but, obviously, we can’t.
“If I had a choice, I wouldn’t want to move but I don’t have an option.”
The former photographer, who uses a wheelchair, said she dreads leaving her home, due to the challenges she faces.
Tracey added: “I’ve got to ‘bum shuffle’ my way up and down the stairs or I’ve got to crawl up and down them. They are filthy.
“It makes me feel about an inch big. It is degrading and I feel worthless. I just feel that I’ve got no dignity left.”
Health professionals have informed Tracey she shouldn’t be using the stairs at all, which effectively leaves her housebound.
This is due to the effects on her other health conditions and the high risk of injury and falls.
Tracey said she is also “terrified” by the prospect of losing her right leg after the possibility was brought up by a surgeon earlier this month.
“I was quite shocked when we went to see the surgeon and that was the first thing he mentioned,” she said.
“He pointed out the trouble I’m having and he said ‘I think we might have to amputate’ but they also think they might need to take more of my left leg away.”
The worried mum is entitled to an electric wheelchair but this can’t be provided due to her current housing situation, which is having a negative impact on her mental health.
“It gets me down so much at times,” Tracey said. “It breaks my heart that I can’t get out as much as I want to.
“I only go out if I’ve got an appointment or if I’m going to Finding Your Feet [a charity that supports amputees]. I try to go there every week. “They’re really supportive.” Tracey has also been left frustrated as her wheelchair doesn’t fit through her bathroom door, which means she has to crawl every time she uses the toilet or the shower.
She has been told adaptations won’t be carried out as she is on the waiting list for a move.
Tracey added: “They just say ‘you’re at the top of the list. You’ll get a house when we’ve got one to give you.’
“I think they need to relook at the system. They don’t give me any timeline at all.”
Council chiefs have said the health and wellbeing of its tenants is their “top priority.”
A spokesperson added: “We currently have a live application for the Whiteside family and our local housing office is working to source suitable accommodation to meet the family’s needs.
“We are aware of the pressure this is placing on the family and will continue to do everything we can to resolve the situation as quickly as possible.
“We have also provided the family with advice on other housing providers in Renfrewshire who may be able to help them in their search for suitable accommodation.”