825-pound woman denied re-entry to her Wayne apartment, labeled a 'fire hazard'

WAYNE, Mich. (FOX 2) - A woman who weighs about 825 pounds has nowhere to go.

Juaunia Bates is currently at Corewell Health Wayne Hospital. She is scheduled to be discharged at midnight, but says she cannot go back to her eighth floor apartment in Wayne.

According to Bates, she was told her size is one of the reasons she was denied re-entry into her home, as she is deemed to be "a fire hazard" due to her limited mobility.

"I just can’t keep living like this," Bates said. "I want to be free."

The 33-year-old gained over 200 pounds while in her apartment, and had not been outside in approximately two years after suffering a devastating loss.

"Back in 2018, my boyfriend was murdered in front of me, so I kind of hid from the world, and it just kind of got out of hand," she said. 

Bates added that she felt like a prisoner in her unit at Westchester Tower Apartments, and continues to feel trapped within her own body.

Juaunia Bates

"A normal day is just laying in the bed, with nothing to do," she told FOX 2.

Bates struggled with weight her whole life, and has been relying on her mom for care lately, but she wants that to change.

"My mom is 53, and I don’t want her to be taking care of me," she said. "I’m supposed to take care of her."

Due to her weight, Bates' lymphedema in her legs –which is extreme fluid build-up– causes her bed sores. 

The sores got severely worse last month.

"It’s almost like a knife that's being turned, constantly going through my legs," the Wayne woman said. "So, I called 911, and they were trying to figure out a way to get me out the house. They wanted to tie me up to the ropes to bring me out the window, but I was scared."

Eventually, 15 paramedics and firefighters were able to put her in the apartment complex elevator, and an ambulance transported her to the hospital. 

With her condition controlled now, Bates says the hospital and Medicare want her discharged. 

And since she was labeled a fire hazard by her apartment complex, she cannot go back home.

A spokesperson for Corwell Health said, "due to privacy, we cannot comment on specific patient conditions." 

She has until 12 a.m. Thursday to make an appeal to Medicare in order to extend her hospital stay. However, she is also at the whim of Section-8 housing – which can take weeks to process a move. 

"They are trying to get me a lower floor but right now, it’s nothing available… I have nowhere to go," Bates said. "I just want the help. I don’t want to be like this anymore. I’m tired, my body is tired, and I don’t want to die."

While Bates is trying to find other housing options, she said there are very few places that are affordable and can accommodate someone her size.

Watch the full story at 11 p.m. in the player below.