If you’re confined to a small living area and rarely get outside your home, it may sound a lot like prison. But it’s how Jasen Ross of Chicago said he’s spent months living in his second story apartment while waiting for a new elevator to be installed at his family’s house.
Ross, 27, was born with Cerebral Palsy, and said he’s always taken pride in being an independent person. While an elevator has allowed him to come and go from his home at his leisure, he said a house a fire damaged the elevator and thieves later stole critical parts, making repairs impossible.
Ross is now dependent on family members to help him leave the house.
“I have a lot of things in life that I want to accomplish that I’m unable to even get started on because I’m stuck here,” Ross said.
Ross and his mother, Erica Crenshaw, have been waiting since March for a new elevator to be built.
A doctor prescribed Ross a new elevator in March. The insurance provider, Humana, approved the lift and contracted a local health care company to start the bidding process.
But the process extended past the anticipated September build date.
Local
Ross said he’s missed doctors’ appointments and job interviews due to the wait. And his mother described the situation as “extremely frustrating”.
“Every parent wants their child to be free to do the things that they want, you know, their goals in life, but he’s on pause and time doesn’t stand still,” Crenshaw said.
The family also received a violation notice from the City of Chicago due to the damaged elevator. Although, a city spokesperson told NBC 5 Responds the city is currently working with the family on the issue.
NBC 5 Responds contacted Humana. The insurance company then intervened to speed up the bidding process. Soon after, a builder was picked to construct the elevator.
A Humana spokesperson told NBC 5 Responds this particular situation took much longer than anticipated “due to the complexity of the need.”
“We take matters like this very seriously and are committed to getting our members the right support to be able to achieve health and well-being,” said spokesperson Nancy Hanewinckel. “We’ve been working to ensure the structure and quality of work are what is needed to produce a positive outcome and better quality of life for our member and have been communicating with the member throughout the process to share status updates.”
Last week workers removed the old elevator. Ross said he hopes the new elevator is completed by Wednesday.
“I know it may sound like a cliché, but it’ll basically give me my freedom back,” Ross said.
