A PREGNANT mum was forced to struggle down eight flights of stairs supported by a team of paramedics due to the broken lift in her building. 

Nine months pregnant, Paola Monte has revealed how she made her way down to the ground floor 'step-by-step' in pain after experiencing false contractions. 

The 39-year-old lives in Brampton Tower, Bassett Avenue, with her husband Mario Luongo and their two children, Matteo, ten, and Nathan, five. 

The couple says the lift has been out of service for almost a month. 

Last week, her husband had to call emergency services when she started having contractions. 

The couple told the Daily Echo that about six paramedics came to check on her, but as her pain got worse, they advised her to go to the hospital. 

Breathless and in pain Paola made her way down the stairs along with her husband and the ambulance team. 

She said: "It was so dangerous and I was worried about my safety and my baby's safety." 

Mario, 40, said it was "unbelievable".

On Friday, he said: "We have three hospital appointments today and one more next week. How can we manage that?" 

Paola and Mario are also worried about their eldest son, Matteo, who has cerebral palsy and learning difficulties and was recently diagnosed with autism. 

He was born prematurely at 26 weeks and has problems walking. 

Mario added: "He has been stuck at home this entire time. He has missed out on his ongoing occupational therapy and physiotherapy. 

"If I am taking him outside, I have to go up and down the stairs to carry his walker and help him." 

Mario works at the University Hospital Southampton as a helipad porter. 

Other residents in the building have also voiced their concerns about the broken lift. 

Elderly and disabled residents say they feel "trapped" and "suffocated".

Fred Harlow, 80, has described the situation as "terrible".Fred Harlow Fred said: "My wife passed away just over a year ago. She was in and out of the hospital, and she could not have made it down. The hospital people or the ambulance people, they couldn't have managed to carry her down." 

Meanwhile, 71-year-old resident Stuart Maggs said the lift hasn't been properly maintained for years. 

Stuart added: "One lift has been out for many, many months, and the second one has given up. Stuart Maggs Another resident, Ryan Grace, says he has had to cancel his hospital appointment. 

The 82-year-old said: "I have to go to the hospital next week for my echocardiogram but had to cancel it.

His wife, Jein, 80, added: "He collapsed before the lift went out of use and he spent a few days in the hospital.

"We can go down the stairs, but coming up is really difficult for us."

Property management firm, ELM Management said it is aware of the issue. 

A spokesperson of the company said: "We have taken all reasonable action to ensure the safe operation of the lifts and authorise essential repair works."

The company says it is working hard to find a temporary solution. 

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