A desperate mum has dubbed her son ‘Wreck it Ralph’ and is pleading for help with his rare condition which sees him destroying the house and eating his bedroom walls.
Leigh Murphy, 29, has to constantly monitor her six-year-old, Steven, to stop him munching on potentially dangerous items around the house.
The youngster was diagnosed with severe autism and suffers from unusual eating disorder pica – which sparks cravings for inedible objects – just four months ago.
He eats sand, mud and his bedroom walls even exposing electrical wires.
Mrs Murphy and husband, also called Steven, 28, live in a private rental property and have been pleading with the local authority for the last three years to get a council home so they can adapt it and have somewhere safer for their son.
They want to put padding in his bedroom so he can’t eat the plaster and fit a wet room and vents to make sure he has air to his room but can’t try and climb out.
The family, from Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, said their current home is not safe.
Mrs Murphy said: ‘It’s horrendous – there is no safe space to put him.
Leigh Murphy, 29, has to constantly monitor her six-year-old son Steven
The family, from Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire, said their current home is not safe
‘He destroys everything.
‘He’s so strong. He just knocks me over.
‘It’s terrifying.
‘Where do we go from here?
‘I’ll walk in and he’s got wires hanging out the wall.’
Her son’s grandmother picked up signs Steven could be autistic when he was just a one-year-old as he would not make eye contact.
Steven has had a multidisciplinary team around him for the last five years but he was only officially diagnosed with autism, pica and intellectual disability in May due to long waiting lists and referral delays.
His mother decided to step back from her work as an A&E clinical support worker when Steven was four-and-a-half to care for him.
The youngster suffers from unusual eating disorder pica – which sparks cravings for inedible objects
Steven eats sand, mud and his bedroom walls even exposing electrical wires
She said as a precautionary measure the boy’s bedroom now has nothing but his mattress and added: ‘He eats the carpet, his own poo.
‘He constantly has a husky throat.
‘You can’t turn your back for a second.
‘You turn your back for a second to check on dinner and the wallpaper is off the wall.’
The family are desperate for a council house but after three years are still on the waiting list.
Mrs Murphy who also has daughter Isla-Mae, nine, with her lift-installer husband, said her son’s illness impacted every aspect of their lives.
But she insisted Steven is a ‘loving wee boy’ and added: ‘We nicknamed him Wreck it Ralph.
‘In the living room we only have two couches and telly – that’s it.
‘In the kitchen everything is locked away.’
The family are seeking an adaptable bungalow that suits Steven’s needs
She continued: ‘Just to know he’s going into his room and it’s a safe space will mean I can sleep.
‘For once in six years I’ll be able to take a breath and know he’s OK.
‘I’m running on air.’
A spokesman for North Lanarkshire Council said: ‘We understand the family’s situation and are working closely with social work colleagues to support their needs.
‘The type of property required, an adaptable bungalow in Cumbernauld, is in very short supply, and most homes in the area are owned by housing associations rather than the council.
‘We currently have no suitable council housing available but, with the family’s agreement, we are engaged with our partner landlords to explore every option. While this is being treated as a priority, finding the right property may take time.’
