This article was first published on RNZ.
The sister of a tetraplegic man whose Auckland home was significantly damaged in a fire says his life has been turned upside-down.
Fire crews were called to the North Shore suburb of Beach Haven shortly before 6pm on Saturday.
The blaze was put out about an hour later.
Writing on Givealittle, the man’s sister said her brother’s bedroom - the one space that could meet his complex needs - was lost.
“He now finds himself displaced, staying in a hotel near the hospital, with his carers by his side 24/7,” his sister Stella Rihari wrote.
“While we are deeply grateful that he and his whānau and those who were with him are safe, the loss of his essential equipment means he cannot return home or resume any sense of normality without support,” she said.
Rihari wrote on Givealittle that his medical equipment was lost as well which allowed him to life safely and with dignity.
She said whānau are deeply grateful everyone escaped the fire safe, but he cannot return home after losing his equipment.
By RNZ.
