A WORRIED mum whose son has a rare brain disease fears living in a “cramped” Barrhead flat is having a major impact on his health.

Kelly Baird told how there isn’t enough room at their Auchenback Court home to store medical equipment for three-year-old Tyler, who was diagnosed with polymicrogyria in 2019.

She also has to take Tyler, who is in a wheelchair, up and down 15 steps to reach Fenwick Drive for his lift to nursery and 47 steps to reach the bus stop in Newton Avenue.

Kelly, 32, first applied for a move to more suitable accommodation three years ago but is still waiting to be rehoused.

She told the Barrhead News: “Tyler’s health is being impacted because we can’t swing a cat in here. He needs space for physio and all of his medical equipment.

“He needs a proper hospital bed but we have absolutely nowhere to put it.

“No adaptations have been made to the property and we don’t have a wet room, so I’m breaking my back bending over the bath.

“Also, the amount of stairs to get in and out of the property is ridiculous.

“To have me bumping and lifting a heavy wheelchair up and down stairs every day is abhorrent.

“I’m constantly panicking he’s going to fall and, when there is ice or torrential rain, we are stuck inside because the steps are treacherous.”

Kelly lives in the two-bedroom flat with her partner John Fallon, Tyler and his older siblings TJ and Jaxon.

Tyler’s illness has left him non-verbal and in need of a raft of medical equipment, including feeding tubes.

The family’s open-plan kitchen and living room also doubles as his sleeping space.

Kelly was offered an alternative flat in Barrhead but turned this down, as it would have meant giving up her small outdoor space and is in an area that is busy with traffic and can be noisy, which could trigger Tyler’s seizures.

She has become so fed-up with her situation that she has started a Facebook group for others facing similar difficulties being rehoused in East Renfrewshire.

The group has since attracted almost 170 members, which Kelly believes is confirmation of a “housing crisis.”

Her landlord, Barrhead Housing Association, said it has awarded the family “maximum priority” but no properties meeting their particular needs have become available since they applied.

East Renfrewshire Council said Kelly’s application is being treated as a priority and, should a suitable property become available, she will be able to bid for it.

A spokeswoman added: “Previous properties which Ms Baird bid on were either not suitable for the family’s medical needs or were given to someone with a higher priority, such as those experiencing homelessness.

“We have a legal duty to find accommodation for anyone facing homelessness in East Renfrewshire and, unfortunately, there has been increased demand for this during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“There have been some suitable properties that Ms Baird has chosen not to bid on as they may not have been in her preferred area choices. However, we are committed to supporting the family in finding a home that suits their needs.”