Woman in Wayne Weighing 825 Pounds Denied Re-Entry to Her Apartment, Labeled as ‘Fire Hazard’

Woman in Wayne Weighing 825 Pounds Denied Re-Entry to Her Apartment, Labeled as ‘Fire Hazard’

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WAYNE, Michigan

In a heartbreaking circumstance in Wayne, Michigan, an 825-pound woman is left without a home as she’s been denied re-entry to her apartment due to being considered a ‘fire hazard’.

Juaunia Bates, a 33-year-old woman, is currently at the hospital and scheduled to be discharged by Thursday midnight. However, Bates says she can’t return back to her eighth-floor apartment as her size and limited mobility have deemed her to be a fire hazard.

She mentioned, “I just can’t keep living like this. I want to be free.” Bates Recalled that her weight drastically increased while living in her apartment. She hadn’t been outdoors for about two years following a tragic personal loss.

In 2018, Bates suffered a terrible setback when her boyfriend was killed in front of her. “I kind of hid from the world, and it just kind of got out of hand,” she explained. Bates added that she feels like a prisoner, not only in her apartment at Westchester Tower Apartments but also imprisoned in her own body.

Complications of being overweight have caused Bates to suffer from lymphedema in her legs, leading to bed sores. These sores worsened last month to the point where she described the pain like a “knife that’s being turned, constantly going through my legs.”

Her situation escalated to the point where it took 15 paramedics and firefighters to transport her to the hospital. Despite her health condition, Bates is set to be discharged as the hospital and Medicare look to move her out, but her predicament remains as she finds herself to be unable to return to her apartment after being regarded as a fire hazard.

In the face of this predicament, Bates desperately seeks other housing options. However, she confesses the challenge in finding affordable housing that could accommodate her is extremely difficult.

Stating her despair, she said, “They are trying to get me a lower floor but right now, it’s nothing available… I have nowhere to go… I just want the help. I don’t want to be like this anymore. I’m tired, my body is tired, and I don’t want to die.”

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