Norwich mum: 'Housing battle contributed to heart attack'

Mum-of-one Darsha Munasingha believes “undue stress” and unsuitable accommodation contributed to her medical episode on November 3.  

The 55-year-old – who suffers from coronary artery disease – was climbing the stairs to a one-room flat in Ipswich where she had been placed with her 13-year-old son and husband, Daya, at the time.  

The family are trying to move to Norwich so they no longer have to do the 90-mile round trip to get teenager Lahiru to school at City Academy.  

Their problems began after the family moved from Surrey to Sri Lanka in 2012 to look after Darsha's bed-bound mother. 

Mrs Munasingha and her son moved back to the UK in July 2022 after she was unable to obtain insulin for her heart condition. 

Her husband could not afford to come back.  

The mother and son were taken in by relatives living in Norwich after having “nowhere else to go”. 

But four months on and the British national’s search for permanent housing in the Fine City has seen them shipped to Gorleston and now Ipswich.  

It was here, outside a one-bed flat up a flight of “steep” stairs that Mrs Munasingha – who previously worked in transportation – suffered a heart attack. 

She said: "We've been through so much. I feel terrible. 

"I don't think we've been treated well at all. 

"When we arrived in Norwich, we contacted the council to apply for housing and were told our case needed to be looked into. 

"Child services moved us to several temporary places outside of the city. 

"I still had to take my son to school in Norwich as we couldn't get him into anywhere closer. We were always classed as being in temporary accommodation." 

A spokeswoman for Norwich City Council said: "We are working closely with Mrs Munasingha and her family to work out the housing options available to them and are providing a temporary home while we work through this." 

Carrie Sant, a lay canon at Norwich Cathedral, has been trying to help the family find a home. 

The 68-year-old from Thorpe St Andrew said: "I'm trying to support a family who are in desperate need of housing suitable for them. 

"Darsha was in Papworth Hospital for a week before being discharged yesterday (November 10) but she still doesn't have suitable accommodation. 

"We've written to Chloe Smith and continued to outline the situation." 

Chloe Smith, Conservative MP for Norwich North, said: "My team has been providing regular assistance to Darsha and her son, doing everything I can to help the family as my constituents. 

"I was deeply troubled to hear of Darsha’s recent heart attack and wish her a speedy recovery. 

"The local authorities need to support her too." 

Mrs Munasingha said she could “barely move” in the single-bedroom hostel the council moved her family to on October 24.  

She added: "We couldn't even take all our luggage in because the room was so small. 

"I've constantly been in contact with the housing officer about this but it seems like they don't have any feelings towards my health and situation." 

Lahiru was left shaken after seeing his mum have a heart attack, adding: "It was very frightening because she could not breathe properly even with the window open.  

“Then the ambulance crew struggled to get her down the stairs to go to the hospital because the steps are so steep.  

"I'm really far from my school and it's very stressful for me. 

"I really like my school, my friends and my teachers so I don't want to switch." 

Following her heart attack, Mrs Munasingha has been separated from her son while she stays with friends of Ms Sant in Norwich’s St Augustines Street.  

Meanwhile, her husband is making the two-hour commute to get his son to school.  

Mrs Munasingha added: “I couldn’t keep climbing the stairs.  

"I'm only looking for a suitable place for my family to live in."