Litchfield man’s struggle to receive medical attention

LITCHFIELD, Ill. – Daniel Spratt of Litchfield, Illinois, feels cast aside because he weighs more than 600 pounds and desperately needs medical attention. He’s been bedridden since August 2023, when he fell and broke his leg.

Spratt called FOX 2 because he couldn’t get transportation to a doctor to check out his leg. The state of Illinois agreed to pay for an ambulance company to transport Spratt to the doctor because he’s on Medicaid. But time after time, the ambulance never showed up, and Spratt would have to cancel his appointment.

FOX 2 put Spratt in touch with Sean Mulroney, an advocate for the morbidly obese population. Mulroney said obesity is the last accepted prejudice. Six years ago, his first story with FOX 2 went viral. Mulroney formed the Obesity Revolution. His story flipped when he was hospitalized and spent 16 weeks in rehabilitation.

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Mulroney said he sees people like Spratt all the time. They are so overweight that no one will help them.

FOX 2 reached out to the Illinois Department of Healthcare to find out why no one would take Spratt to the doctor. The next day, HFS and Transdev reached out to Spratt and found a transportation company to help him.

“HFS and Transdev have been working for over six weeks to secure a provider to safely transport this customer to and from medical appointments,” the health department said in a statement. “Prior to locating this provider, Transdev contacted 22 local ambulance providers that indicated they were unable or declined to transport the customer. HFS negotiated and accepted the ride with the only provider who agreed to provide transportation.”

The state followed through on its promise and Spratt finally got his ride to the doctor. HFS is also working to remodel Daniel’s home, which will help with access to the home when needed.

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