‘I’ve been trapped upstairs in my house for five years’

A woman with serious health issues has been stuck upstairs in her home for five years because the lift she needs to get downstairs is too small. Michelle Phillips has many complex conditions and uses a wheelchair, with her mobility further limited as she can’t bend one of her knees.

The lift installed by the council at her privately-owned home isn’t big enough to fit her and her wheelchair. This means that the 51-year-old has been trapped upstairs for half a decade.

Michelle, who lives on Kennerley Road in Davenport, Stockport, said her old lift worked for years and helped her stay independent. When it broke down, a new one was installed, funded by a disabled facilities grant, but it turned out to be too small.

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Because she has to keep her left leg straight, the lift is about 15cm too short. She marked the five-year anniversary on Friday (March 15) by displaying the number of days she has been inside in her upstairs window – 1,827, reports the Manchester Evening News.

The former nursery worker said the sign – and balloons outside – give her a sense of connection with the outside world as people passing by wonder about her situation. Michelle, who has several conditions and survived a stroke, will soon need hospital treatment. She’s worried her health will worsen if the problem isn’t fixed soon and is asking for help.

Michelle shared her tough journey, saying: “I’ve lost five years of life that I’ll never get back. 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.”

She explained her struggle with finding a solution: “It’s not that I want anybody to pay for it, my late parents will pay for it, but I just now can’t find a lift company that will do a commissioned lift – and that’s what I need.

“We’ve gone as far as looking abroad to try and find one. We nearly got one with a company, but they were out of England and they would have had to take over 24 hours if the lift broke down.”

Michelle recounted her fears: “I’ve been trapped in my lift many times, so we need a call out in four to six hours and they couldn’t offer that and they couldn’t do the electrics.”

The council from Stockport mentioned they can’t talk about individual cases, but they did say they always encourage people to get in touch with them to talk about problems or if their needs change, so they can help.

Having lived in her house since December 1998 and on the same street all her life, Michelle said she just couldn’t think about moving somewhere else.

For the past five years, carers and a social worker have been there for her. Her dad Stuart was also a big support until he died in November 2020.

Michelle added a personal note: “It’s hard when you have to say goodbye to your father out of a bedroom window and organise his funeral and say goodbye to him on a phone. Nobody should ever have to do that.”

“That’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, watch his funeral service with my friends on a laptop. That killed me. I can’t ever get that back.

“We were very close, I spoke to him three or four times a day, so being stuck in here… I will never forgive this situation for losing that opportunity.

“If we found a company who could help me, it would give me my life back, it would be all Christmases at once to know that I’d get out this year. I think it’d be wonderful. I need to get out this year, I have to because my health needs to be dealt with now, it’s got to a serious level.

“I don’t know what will happen if not, we try not to think, we’ve just got to keep going. Somewhere in this country there is a lift company and somebody would find them and they’ll get in contact with me, I just pray that miracle happens. I just need a company. If anyone out there knows a company [which can help], I’d be so grateful.”

Michelle is being supported by Stockport MP Navendu Mishra. He’s been fighting for her for two years.

The MP has urged anyone who may be able to help to get in touch, adding: “She faces many challenges in respect of her health and care needs, but does so with indomitable spirit and tenacity. Being confined to one room, with no access to the outside is unimaginable for most of us.”

“This has been Michelle’s life for five years. The lift in her home is not fit for purpose.”

“Michelle has done her best to source a lift company to help her but now feels she needs to go public in the hope someone comes forward with a solution.”

“It is vital Michelle is able to access hospital care and I would urge any company who thinks they could help to get in touch with my office.”

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