Cage: Sadie Fenton Hunt sleeps in a cage due to her condition
A disabled child had to sleep in a dog cage because a council refused to provide a special bed, it has been claimed. Sadie Fenton Hunt, 10, has a rare form of epilepsy and can’t be allowed out of bed at night in case she hurts herself. Her mum Effie used a dog cage to keep her safe after the local authority said they would not supply the special padded cot she needs, the Daily Record reports.
Effie said: “The dog pen was basically a metal cage with mesh panels which you link together. It was horrible to see my daughter in a dog cage but we didn’t have any choice.
“Social services said they didn’t think it was safe. But what was the alternative?” Sadie, who can’t speak or communicate, was given a customised bed by her local authority while the family were living in Northumberland. When they moved to Chesser in Edinburgh to be nearer Effie’s mum in January, the city council said they would provide a special chair and bath for Sadie – but not a bed.
Learning support teacher Effie, 41, added: “Sadie has West syndrome. “She has little understanding of the world. Her frustration at being unable to express herself affects how she behaves. She bangs her head against walls and things.
“Sadie doesn’t sleep well and can be awake a lot during the night. She needs a bed where she can’t get out.”
The bed Sadie used in Northumberland, which was like a huge cot with padded sides, meant the family could rest, knowing she was safe. In Edinburgh, Effie propped the dog pen up around an inflatable mattress and clipped it to the walls. She added: “Special beds are essential for someone with needs like Sadie. It’s so difficult caring for her and doing that without sleep makes it so much harder.” Children’s disability charity Newlife said there was a “postcode lottery” in the UK when it comes to the provision of special equipment.
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