By Amputee left ‘trapped’ in his own home
A man from Cleethorpes says he is ‘trapped’ in his home following having to have his leg amputated after health issues, originating while he was at work.
Phil Ellis, 51, lives with his wife Alex, 42, and their six-year-old daughter Samantha.
Phil was an offshore worker who risked his life to save people who had gotten into difficulty at sea.
In 2020, after bending and kneeling for several days whilst on a boat, Phil found he couldn’t stand up after watching TV one night.
He was sent back to shore and scans showed several blockages in the arteries of his left leg.
He underwent bypass surgery and has had four in total since August 2020.
Doctors discovered the arteries in his right leg were beginning to block during his second bypass, which resulted in more surgery.
Mr. Ellis changed his career and became a lorry driver after the operations but during working in Aberdeen, the pain in his leg was so severe he couldn’t press the pedals on his HGV.
Phil was taken back to his home and left unable to work, with severe pain.
Sadly his right leg was amputated after he was diagnosed with peripheral artery disease which was reducing the blood flow in his leg.
The family has been on the Home Choice Lincs housing website since he was discharged from the hospital, but there have been no homes available with disabled access.
He had a PIP claim put in last August but it is still not settled and so without that and a guarantor they have no chance of a privately rented house.
They were awarded a disabled facilities grant but without a property to put the facilities grant in, they have hit a brick wall.
The official diagnosis of Peripheral Artery Disease- Factor V Leiden. He has worked all his life and his wife is currently working for Doorstep.
He couldn’t have a false leg due to skin problems and so is confined to a wheelchair and cannot get in or out of his rented home without the help of 2 people.
Since then, has only been out about 5 times and is suffering from depression. The family is on the waiting list for a house with easier access.
They should be entitled to Personal independence payments and so applied when he was discharged, but there have been problems with their PIP payments.
At current, they are still waiting and have been told the benefits agency has made a mistake but still, nothing has happened.
A local Councillor, Cllr Marie Green, has also intervened and contacted Cleethorpes MP Martin Vickers for assistance, however, nothing yet has come to fruition.
