Disabled mum fighting to live with son (From Sutton Guardian)

Disabled mum, Zoe Watson, from Sutton is fighting to live with her son

7:00am Thursday 7th March 2013 in News By Sophia Sleigh, Reporter

A disabled mum is fighting for an adapted property to be able to live an independent life with her little boy.

Zoe Watson, 40, from Sutton, has a serious condition affecting her spine called Cauda Equina syndrome which causes problems walking and incontinence.

Her son Haydn, 9, had to move in with his grandfather in May last year after she had an operation on her back and in September her health seriously worsened leading her physiotherapist to compile a report that showed she could not continue to live in her home in Edinburgh Road home, Sutton.

She is in a temporary accommodation at Crossways Nursing home, in Overton Road, but she says she needs to be rehoused to an adapted property which would enable her to live an independent life.

She was offered a temporary home, but there were numerous issues which her physiotherapist said made the home unsuitable including no drop kerbs, multiple doors to get through and a bath which she could not get into. There was also no plumbing for a washing machine.

She said: "It’s about a quality of life and living independently.

"My physio and I discussed that maybe I could go home [in Edinburgh Road] and get an ambulance driver to lift me up into my home but I would be housebound.

"I feel a failure as a mother. My little boy went into school telling everybody that he would be living with his mummy again and it broke my heart when I had to say it’s not happening.

"He said he’d rather be dead than in this situation. I’m at my wits' end - I don’t know what to do. I haven’t lived with my son for nine months."

A council spokesman said it made efforts on behalf of Ms Watson and added: "We are aware of the situation Ms Watson is in and we have offered her accommodation which she could occupy with her son. However, she has chosen to refuse that accommodation.

"We made the offer of interim accommodation of an adapted room at Andrewes House because it may be difficult to resolve her housing need in the short term and it offered the best temporary solution."