A terminally ill Scots mum who wants to spend her final days at home can’t move back to the property – because it’s unsuitable for her wheelchair.
Sussanne Craig is staying in a Glasgow hospice but wants to move back to the two-bedroom flat which she shares with partner and daughter in the city’s Castlemilk area.
She is completely reliant on the wheelchair and her son, Conner, says she can’t get up the 10 steps to her front door, meaning “there’s no way in or out” of the property for her.
Conner says that has led to the 54-year-old losing her independence. The family says Sussanne needs a wheelchair platform lift to get inside her flat.
They bought the property from the council, and the doors inside would have to be widened to make enough space for her wheelchair to fit through.
Glasgow Live reports Conner, who lives in Rutherglen, said: “She has been there (hospice) for about a week because the property isn’t equipped to allow her to move about.”
The 27-year-old added: “There’s two realistic options; get a stair climber that can be put under the wheelchair and a second person has to operate to pull her up the stairs.
“It still doesn’t give mum any independence whatsoever; the ideal thing for her quality of life is a lift as it can get her up to the front door herself and she can get out for fresh air.
“It would mean the world to her to get her independence back.” Sussanne, who previously worked at Gorbals post office, has been described as a “pillar of the community” who is missed by locals after having to leave work due to ill health.
After noticing blood in her stool, the mum went to her GP and was diagnosed with rectal cancer just before Christmas, in 2022. However, her family had “hope” that she would get better.
But their world turned upside down when she was given a terminal diagnosis six months ago. Conner said: “It’s almost like life flashed before our eyes but there was still hope that they’d caught it in time.
“She was very much trying to get on with life, turning up to work and being there for the community. After radiotherapy, she was really weak and tired but still drove herself to work.
“Her condition deteriorated and she went from being able to walk to shuffle and then ended up with crutches and then a zimmer frame. She is fully reliant on a wheelchair now.”
Opening up on his mum’s recent diagnosis, he added: “They gave her between one and three years to live. That was the hardest bit, we knew there’s no turning back. It’s hard to have hope at that point.
“She ended up with sepsis at the beginning of this year and was quite unwell and taken to hospital. We were all quite worried. Since then she has never been the same. As much as we knew it was coming, it was still quicker than expected.”
A GoFundMe page has been created so that Sussanne can adapt her home to allow her to move back in with partner Eddie Whiteside and their 15-year-old daughter, Maiyah.
It has so far raised over £5,000 of its £20,000 target. Conner said: “You don’t realise how many people have you in their thoughts and actually care about you until something like this happens.
“She is much more of an active part of the community than she realises and that’s what the GoFundMe has really shown us – a lot of people do know who she is and care.
“The Gorbals are a really good community and it gives her comfort knowing that she is not alone. She loved her job in the post office and does miss everybody.
“The whole family have been doing everything they can for my mum and pulling on whatever resources they have. Maiyah’s even trying to organise some fundraising events for February. It’s inspiring to see everyone do what they can.”
Your GP, cancer doctor or specialist nurse can tell you what support is available if you have mobility problems and need help. More information can be found here. Support the fundraising appeal for Sussanne here.
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