Lillias ‘Lilly’ Duffy, 40, lives with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), a condition that affects how her brain communicates with her body, causing daily tremors, speech difficulties, and mobility issues.
She is also deaf, has mild autism, and was born with Rubella syndrome, which has left her with significant health problems, including sight and muscle impairments.
Now, Lilly is struggling to adapt to her new housing association property, which doesn’t have carpets and a shed—both of which she says are essential for her and her children’s wellbeing.
Lillias Duffy (Image: Supplied) READ MORE: Fundraiser for football club raises more than £1,000 in just three days
“I’m still trying to make this a home for me and my boys,” she said.
“The bare floors affect my health. My nerves and foot pain are difficult to control, and the cold floors make it worse. My youngest son, who has Global Development Delay (GDD), takes his socks off because of sensory sensitivity, and it’s horrible that the floors are constantly dirty. I’m having to clean all the time when I bring my wheelchair in and out of the house.”
Lilly explained that rugs aren’t an option because of her vision impairment, and carpets are also a requirement for the stairlift she desperately needs to navigate her home safely.
“My stairlift can’t be installed until the carpets are down,” she said.
“The company told me I’d have to pay for it to be lifted and reinstalled over the carpet, and I can’t afford that.”
A quote to carpet the house came in at nearly £3,000. On top of this, she is hoping to purchase a shed to store her wheelchair and reduce the dirt being tracked indoors.
To cover these costs, Lilly launched a GoFundMe appeal after being told she was ineligible for grants because of her benefit cap.
“Social workers said I’m not eligible for help with grants, so they don’t seem to know how to help me get carpets,” she said.
Lilly’s challenges are added to by the effects of FND, which has left her unable to use her dominant hand following a stroke.
“I’m trying to relearn how to use my right hand,” she said.
Despite these struggles, Lilly has been raising awareness about FND within the deaf community through her Instagram page, @fndandmedeaf, where she posts videos in British Sign Language (BSL).
The living room tiles and the stairs in her property (Image: Supplied) SEE ALSO: Plans to close residential activity centre Stubbington
“People don’t understand what FND is,” she said.
“Even nurses aren’t aware of it, and they need more training. It’s hard to explain the condition, and it makes things like going to the hospital or dealing with the police very difficult.”
To support Lilly’s fundraiser, visit her GoFundMe page at https://gofund.me/d3d5ad99