A traumatised Paisley mum says she is afraid to leave her home after a massive pothole caused her wheelchair to tip resulting in catastrophic injuries.
Leesa Mckay, who is a bilateral amputee, was crossing the road at East Lane in Paisley in torrential rain on November 29 and was approaching a dropped kerb when her wheelchair clipped a pothole that was filled with water.
The 45-year-old was flung from the chair on to the road, with her right stump taking the full force of the impact.
The brave woman, who had both her legs amputated earlier this year due to cardiovascular disease, suffered multiple fractures, with severe bleeding sustained to her knee. She was hospitalised for several days.
Speaking to the Paisley Daily Express yesterday, Leesa said the whole experience was “absolutely horrific”.
She said: “I can’t explain the pain I felt in my leg and the shock, it was just horrific.
“It all happened so fast. My daughters and I had been out Christmas shopping and were on our way home. It was about 4.30pm so it was getting dark and it had been raining.
“We used the dip in the pavement for wheelchair users, however, as drains were flooding and the road was on a slant, there was a mucky puddle and we did not realise there was a pothole in the road.
“I came right out of the chair and landed full impact on my right stump. I was soaking wet, but all I could think of was the excruciating pain in my leg. I went into shock. My son, who got there within minutes, said I passed out three times.”
Members of the public and customers of the nearby Harvey’s pub rushed to Leesa’s aid and called an ambulance.
She was then taken to the Paisley’s Royal Alexandra Hospital where she was treated for fractures to her leg.
The accident has rounded off what has been a really difficult year for Leesa, who had her right leg amputated in April and her left leg amputated in June.
Doctors had tried to save her limbs with a triple bypass on both her legs – also completed at the start of 2024.
Medics have now told her the accident will delay her fitting of prosthetic legs by several months.
“Having spent so much of the year in hospital I couldn’t believe this had happened on top of all of that and I was back there again,” she said.
“I had just recently been measured for prosthetic legs but this has set me back months. The doctors say I won’t be able to bear weight for around three months so it has a really big impact.”
Leesa now wants assurances from Renfrewshire Council that it will prioritise repairing potholes near dropped kerbs as locations where people in wheelchairs and those with walking aids cross.
She said: “I feel traumatised and very vulnerable now; I’m nervous of going out and about after what happened.
“Before my amputations, I took these things for granted. I would have been ignorant to how accessible or not places were.
“Until you’re in a wheelchair, you don’t realise that so many of the pavements and roads are atrocious. Trying to find safe places to pass, smooth parts to go down so as not to hurt your legs, it’s very difficult.”
Leesa has bravely told her story in order to raise awareness of the hazards for wheelchair users but also to thank members of the public who came to her aid.
Panicked locals raced to help both Leesa and her daughter Kimberley who had been pushing her mum’s wheelchair.
Passers-by stopped to lift their Christmas shopping which had spilled all over the road and people helped to reassure her as they waited for the ambulance.
She said: “There was a woman and two men, a father and son, who stayed to the very end when I was taken in an ambulance.
“They got me a foil sheet from the pub to keep warm, called an ambulance and comforted Kimberley who was distraught – and one of the men left me with his own daughter’s blanket.
“The men also took my daughters home with the shopping and gave them comfort.
“I just want to say a huge thank you to those very kind hearted people for all they did as it was bad, and for my daughter and family too. Their kindness meant the world to us.”
A Renfrewshire Council spokesperson said: “We’re very sorry to hear of this incident and its impact on Leesa and would like to wish her a fast recovery.
“We hadn’t received any reports of a pothole or flooding at this location but are inspecting today [Friday] and will carry out an appropriate repair.
“We do everything in our power to reduce the risk of flooding and maintain drains, roads and footways on an ongoing basis. Unfortunately, despite these efforts with poor weather conditions, flooding can still occur.
“People can report an issue to us through our website or by calling our customer contact centre.
“Whenever this happens, an inspector visits the site and assesses it, considering any specific issues such as the severity and its location then arranges for it to be repaired as soon as possible.”
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