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Philly Boy with Muscular Dystrophy Forced Up Stairs Daily
15 May
Summary
- An 11-year-old with Duchenne MD must climb stairs daily due to a broken elevator.
- The elevator has been non-operational for over a month, causing significant hardship.
- A replacement part is expected to ship soon, with repairs anticipated by late May.
An 11-year-old boy with Duchenne muscular dystrophy faces daily challenges at William Ziegler Elementary School in Northeast Philadelphia due to a malfunctioning elevator. For more than 34 days, the broken elevator has forced the student to climb stairs to access his second-floor classroom, exacerbating his condition. His mother expressed frustration over the lack of a clear repair timeline from the school district.
Despite the daily struggle, school staff have assisted the student with carrying his wheelchair and accompanying him on the stairs. The school district stated that a necessary motor and hydraulic pump assembly was a specialized component requiring manufacturing.
A replacement part is now expected to ship on May 18, 2026, with installation anticipated for May 22, 2026. The district acknowledged the significant inconvenience caused by the outage and assured that all steps have been taken to expedite the repair process.
