My name is Malvina, and I am a Papworth Trust tenant living in Luton.
Previously, I lived in a high-rise block of flats on the 13th floor. The flat was not suitable for a person in my condition because the corridors were too small to fit my wheelchair.
When I needed to go out, my friends would need to pick me up and carry me to the corridor to get me out of the house.
It was so bad. I was stuck in bed all of the time and, living on the 13th floor, all I could see was the clouds in the sky. I felt like a prisoner in my own home, and my condition got worse. Living in that flat was no longer possible.
"It has been life changing because I've got my little bit of independence."Then I moved into a property with Papworth Trust, and life got better. I've got a lovely house with a garden. I can move around the house because the downstairs has enough space to turn in my wheelchair. I can go to the kitchen to see what my mum has cooked. I can go for a shower downstairs. Above all, I can spend time with my friends.
In my old house, I was like a prisoner, without the possibility of getting out. But in here I can go out to the garden and spend time in the sun. My friends can take me out to the shops.