Gift of independence for Darrell

Forty-eight year old Darrell Grounds suffers from severe rheumatoid arthritis, and the daily burden of climbing his stairs left the  ex-rugby league player in crippling pain.

However, a donation of a  ‘transformative’ Acorn Stairlift has changed Darrell’s life for the better.   

Darrell has struggled with the daily challenge of climbing the stairs for over  two and a half years, since his condition left him in constant pain and difficulty. 

His limited mobility left Darrell trapped upstairs and virtually  a prisoner in his own home, due to the agony induced by his  trying to negotiate the stairs.

Darrell said: “Over the past few years, my freedom has completely diminished.

“I used to be active and regularly played rugby.

“However, my excruciating arthritis made daily tasks, such as climbing the stairs, an unendurable task.

“I knew the only saving grace would be a stairlift – yet the cost was more than I could afford.”

After Acorn Stairlifts were made aware of Darrell’s debilitating situation, they contacted him immediately to offer to donate a stairlift free of charge.  

Darrell added: “I can’t thank the team at Acorn Stairlifts enough.

“When I was told about the stairlift offer, I was so touched by the generosity and knew how much it would change my life.

“ My freedom has returned – my friends no longer have to do my shopping and I can now let my dog out every day.

“ I have finally got my life back!”

Nick Wilson, operations director for Acorn Stairlifts, said that the company cares about the people they help.

He said: “It’s so important to us to help people like Darrell, who due to physical conditions, experience excruciating pain when facing stairs.

“ We want people to feel safe, comfortable and confident in their own homes and we’re passionate about supporting people in these situations.”

  Yorkshire-based Acorn Stairlifts has been manufacturing and installing stairlifts for more than 25 years and employs more than 800 people across the country.