A REDDITCH woman housebound due to chronic illness has issued a desperate plea to help make her dream of going outside come true.
Amanda Dancer, who is 53, has chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which affects how her body absorbs air and oxygen.
As a result of her condition she has to regularly use an oxygen tank and is housebound most of the time.
This means that her time outside in the garden is extremely valuable to her, and although Redditch Borough Council have provided her with a ground-floor flat in Batchley with a large outdoor space, the only access is via the kitchen door and down a side alley – and her oxygen tank does not reach that far.
Amanda and her carer Tracie Mcdonough have decided to try and raise around £4,000 to install patio doors and get the garden tidied up for her to enjoy too.
Amanda said: “It’s driving me mad being in this house all the time. It would mean so much to me to be able to go outside.
“If I had access to the garden directly from my bedroom, it would mean I could reach the oxygen tank directly from the garden. At the moment, the only access is too far away – I’d be on my way to hospital before I knew it.
“People take it for granted that they can go out, but it makes such a difference when you can’t. It really changes how you feel about the world.”
Mum of four Amanda often gets so ill that she has to be admitted to hospital for weeks at a time, but she believes that being able to use her garden would improve her mental health and overall well-being.
“You feel trapped having to stay indoors all the time – and it would mean the world to me to have the grandkids round to play in the garden,” she added.
Tracie added: “I just want her to be able to enjoy being outside in the summertime. She doesn’t get to go very far so her garden is a very important place for her.
“Her condition means that she can’t venture out very often, but she should be able to enjoy the time she does have. I just know it would mean the world to her to be able to go outside again.”
Tracie and her two sons are planning to do a skydive to help the cause in July and the women are also gathering items together for a raffle and summer fun-day.
To donate to the cause visit https://www.gofundme.com/amandas-garden-fund
