A 44-year-old man from Bantry, County Cork, has become so heavy that he is forced to sleep on his floor downstairs. Ritchie Doyle, who has become too large to climb the stairs, is demanding his Cork County Council move him to a suitable new home.
Doyle, originally from Dublin, said he’s been on a waiting list for a new home for a year. He says his health condition is deteriorating every day. Severe asthma and diabetes has left Doyle bedridden and he now requires treatment from a nurse every other day.
He told the Mirror “I’ve been sleeping on the floor of this place for the past nine months. Me and my partner split up 18 months ago and that’s what happened.
“I had to sleep in my car for a couple of months before getting into this place. It’s rented accommodation but all I want is to be able to sleep in a bed.”
The father of two says the stairs of his home are too narrow for him to climb.
He told the local newspaper the Southern Star “The number of trucks and cars passing by each day has led me to hospital, where they diagnosed slight carbon monoxide poisoning. I find it harder and harder to breathe as the days go by.”
Now weighting 588-pounds (44 stone) Doyle can no longer climb the stairs in his home but has access to the bathroom which is on the ground floor.
Councillor Kathleen Tassyman is supporting him in his case. She told the paper “The house here simply isn’t suitable for Ritchie and his condition. He has to leave the front door open to let in air and in this heat it is very important that he can breathe properly.
“With the traffic going by, he [Ritchie] is exposed to the fumes from the many trucks and cars.”
“He has been waiting for over a year. Everyone is entitled to a home. Indeed, Ritchie doesn’t even have a proper bed.”
The Councillor is calling on the local authorities to visit and assess his housing conditions.
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