A carer looking after his wife who suffers with an auto-immune disease says he has “no idea” how he’ll get his partner to vital appointments if bills continue to rise.
Hethersett’s William Kilpatrick worked tirelessly throughout his life as a chef and only gave up working in the kitchen to care for his beloved partner, 62-year-old Wendy.
Wendy was initially diagnosed with chronic arthritis two years ago but has since started suffering with epidermolysis bullosa.
The auto-immune disease causes her skin to blister - meaning she cannot go in the sun - and has come with a raft of other health issues.
But now the couple have exhausted their lifelong savings on getting to specialist treatments in London with William, 50, saying there is “no end in sight” for his family.
He said: “The London appointments cost a fortune – I don’t know how anyone can keep up.
“Wendy is in a wheelchair and we have a specialised car for her. I might have to give it back though because petrol is so extortionate.”
William gets paid £67 a week to care for his wife and the pair also claim Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
The couple now have to use food banks to get their meals.
William said: “I’m having to watch my wife get worse every day. I can’t stop the pain, I just have to watch and try my best to carry on – I just don’t need the money issues on top of this.
“It rips me apart knowing I can’t just take my wife out for the day because we can barely afford our own food.
“I know there are people worse off than us but there is just no fun in our lives. It’s heart breaking.”
He added: “We get food parcels and some help with electricity. But what happens when we’re in the same position next month?
“I can’t see an end to it.”
“I’d just say to other people in Norwich I understand how hard it is, just try to remember that family is the most important thing,” he said.
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