Disabled man forced to drag himself down stairs and fears he'll miss own wedding
A disabled man was forced to drag himself down several flights of stairs after being left trapped in his home for a week because of a broken lift.
Wheelchair user Chris Purnell is due to get married on September 24, but feared he would miss the big day due to the elevator breaking down at his flat complex in Edinburgh. As a result, he decided to practice the journey downstairs. Despite reporting the broken lift over a week ago and forking out £150 per month for property maintenance, he remains stuck in his fourth-floor flat. The 37-year-old has lived there for eight years, moving before his diagnosis.
The lift is now working correctly after a fault was first reported on September 7. It is understood that a new part had to be delivered from Spain, but failed to arrive last week as expected. This meant an alternative part was fitted, but proved incompatible with the lift. Today, the original placement part arrived, and has since been installed.
Chris said: "Since I have needed the wheelchair, the lift has been a lifeline to me. It has broken down before but always been fixed in a day or so. Being confined to the house that long I thought I was going out of my mind. What has made it all so much worse is they have never acknowledged the impact on me. I pay more to them than my council tax. £150 a month is a lot of money. I'd move to a ground-floor flat if I could but it seems impossible to get an accessible property in the city."
Since being diagnosed with a neurological condition that affects his mobility, Chris has struggled to get an accessible home. Referring to the broken lift, he said: "It brought back the whole anxiety of lockdown, when I was stuck in here all that time. With the wedding just over a week away, I thought, even if I have to crawl I will be there. That night I practiced going downstairs and dragged myself down. I got burns up and down me. Friends offered to carry me on my wedding day. But I feel I want my dignity. I didn't want to have to rely on others to simply leave my house."
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Fortunately, Chris has received outpourings of support from his friends, councillors, and his fiance Sarah. He said: "Without Sarah I wouldn't have got through the last week. She has so much energy and enthusiasm. My local councillors have been so helpful too. Many people have messaged me wishing me well. I can't thank them enough for their kindness."
A spokesperson for James Gibb said: "We sympathise greatly with Mr. Purnell and the extremely challenging situation that he has been in. From the moment we learned that the lift was broken, fixing it has been our utmost priority and our team did everything they could to expedite a solution. We are sorry that it has taken this length of time to resolve."
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