Glasgow Silverburn TK Maxx bosses blasted by angry Milton dad
Tony says he was left with no other option but to lift Gracey in her tiny panthera micro-chair and try and make their way to the ground floor after being offered no assistance by store management.
The 36-year-old from Milton told the Glasgow Times how his daughter was badly upset and says that store bosses should have a back-up plan for when the lift is out of operation.
Tony carrying daughter Gracey in her wheelchair after the lift at TK Maxx broke. (Image: supplied) He added: 'I'm totally appalled at what happened on Wednesday. Not only is it unacceptable, but it is discriminatory against disabled people.
'I had no choice but to carry Gracey down an escalator in front of people in her tiny wheelchair, which is obviously dangerous. There was simply no other was to get down to the ground floor and she was clearly upset by what was going on.
'What should have been a nice family day out to buy clothes for our summer holiday turned into a shambles. What if someone with a disability was out shopping alone and did not have anyone to help them get back down from the upper level? They would basically be stuck, which is totally unacceptable.'
Tony says the family have now received an apology from bosses at TK Maxx.
Gracey (Image: supplied) He added: 'They said they were sorry for any upset caused, but to me that's not good enough. It's hard enough for people living with a disability without making them feel even more isolated. It was basically just a case of being told that the elevator was out of action and the staff were waiting for an engineer to arrive, but they had no idea when it would be fixed.'
Tony carrying Gracey in her wheelchair after the TK Maxx lift broke (Image: supplied) Little Gracey relies on specialist medication costing around £8000 per month to help with her condition that causes muscle weakness and affects movement, breathing and swallowing.
The couple are currently campaigning for early diagnosis and treatment of SMA and are calling on the Scottish Government to introduce newborn blood spot screening.
(Image: supplied) Tony added: 'Early diagnosis of the condition is vital to help with long term development. Currently the NHS offers a heel prick that takes blood when babies are five days old and tests for nine rare but serious conditions however, this does not include SMA. One in 40 people unknowingly carry the gene responsible and that why testing is so vital.
'America and other countries in Europe test for it but Scotland is shockingly far behind, and this urgently needs to change. Finding SMA early can open up gene therapy, which can halt progression of the disease and give kids like Gracey the healthy and happy future they deserve.'
Tony previously raised over £3,000 towards research by completing a gruelling 43 mile walk from Edinburgh to Glasgow.
He added: 'We want to do all we can to raise awareness of SMA and help fund more research into therapies. Right now, Gracey's medication is making a massive difference to her quality of life. She's able to stand with aids, goes to physio and swimming sessions to build muscle in her legs. She's just amazing, a wee fighter and our little warrior'
A spokesperson for Silverburn said: 'We were very sorry to learn about this family's experience and understand how distressing the situation must have been.
'While the lifts for individual stores are the responsibility of those retailers, we will always try to assist any guest who needs help while visiting Silverburn. Had we been made aware at the time, our team would have done everything possible to support the family using the equipment and assistance we have available.'
TK Maxx did not respond to our approach for comment.
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