My husband no longer has to carry me up the stairs following stairlift donation

Having suffered from agonising back pain for over five years, Mrs Bailey has been in and out of hospital with various conditions which have only contributed to her misery.

“In 2007 I was rushed to hospital with pancreatitis and was kept in hospital for 10 days. I was 20 stone at the time and lost a staggering two stone during my hospital visit,” Mrs Bailey commented.

“We’re not sure if the weight was causing my back pain but I knew it was increasing the pressure on my spine. I wanted to do anything to ease the aching and have gone on to lose a further four stone in the hope it would help.”

Despite the effort to lose weight the discomfort in Mrs Bailey’s back was getting worse each day. In 2008 she was taken to hospital with suspected Sciatica, but was later diagnosed with chronic arthritis in her back. With the pain at its climax Mrs Bailey visited the urgent care centre in Durham for further diagnosis. 

“I had my first operation almost immediately to treat the crumbling discs and stabilise them,” she explained. “This was by no means a cure but merely an operation to keep them in place. The arthritis in my spine has affected the nerves to my legs and it’s still excruciating to walk without any aid, let alone manage the stairs.”

In 2012 Mrs Bailey could no longer lift her legs more than two inches off the ground and couldn’t get around the home unaided. Unsure of what else to do, Mr and Mrs Bailey approached local parish councillor, Billy Hill, for help.

“When I heard about Mr and Mrs Bailey’s circumstances and the exhausting situation they were in, I supported them with council assessments for the provision of mobility aids around the house. There were three separate visits and verbal approval confirming they were eligible for a stairlift to be installed, but nothing ever came of it.

“I was determined something had to be done. We pursued the local MP, Citizens Advice and even considered taking it to arbitration until I saw the advert in the Sunday paper from Acorn Stairlifts.

“I was familiar with Acorn and knew I had to contact them. They immediately understood the punishing situation and limitations Mrs Bailey was undergoing and very kindly offered to donate a stairlift to her,” Councillor Hill continued.

Mrs Bailey was delighted with the outcome and speed of the stairlift installation from Acorn.

“It was incredible. I received a call from Acorn on the Wednesday and the stairlift was installed on the Friday. What a turnaround after waiting for the council for over a year – Acorn really did come to our rescue,” Mrs Bailey said.

“My husband, Keith, use to have to carry me up the stairs but now it’s brilliant, I don’t have to wait for people to help me up the stairs. I really am so grateful to Acorn for the freedom it has given me.”

Councillor Hill closed with: “The health and wellbeing of Mrs Bailey has been greatly improved because of the actions from Acorn Stairlifts. Thank you.”