Prisoners in their home
Reporter: JANICE BARKER
Date published: 07 January 2010
Mum’s fear for baby as lane is left ungritted
THE big freeze has left a mother trapped at home with a seven-week-old baby who has a heart defect.
And Lynette McGovern, of Hey Top near Dovestone Reservoir, says pleas to grit the road near her remote home have fallen on deaf ears.
She fears that if she needs to call an ambulance the driver will not be able to get up the icy road to her lane, known locally as Forty Row.
Her baby boy, Noah, has already had heart surgery for pulmonary atresia because a valve and heart vessel have failed to develop properly.
He is still only getting about three quarters of the oxygen he needs in his bloodstream.
She has called Oldham Council’s helpline to grit the road, and added: “We are just stranded here. I feel like a prisoner.
“I have telephoned the council and explained and they said they would put us on the list, but there has been no grit at all.
“To make things worse, people have been using the road for sledging and now it is just impacted ice.
“It is not just getting out, it is getting back up the hill.
“I have been out once and got down but could not get back up, I was stuck at the bottom of the hill with bags of shopping and a baby.”
Lynette, who lives with partner Mike Connolly, daughter Eve (9) and son Kieran (12), added: “There are 20 of us up here with cars, an old lady who won’t go out and a disabled person.
“If we have to call an ambulance I’m worried it won’t be able to get here.”
