Medway mum's plea for garden makeover for her disabled daughter
13:40, 17 May 2018
While most of us love making the most of the sunshine in the garden, severely disabled schoolgirl Trinity Parsons is facing the summer months indoors.
Twelve-year-old Trinity is wheelchair-bound, has a form of muscular dystrophy and cannot talk or eat unaided.
Sadly, the garden at her Chatham home is on 10 steep levels so is therefore out of bounds and she is now too heavy for stepmum Kirsty Selves to carry.
When they moved into their home on the Davis Estate three years ago, the priority was to find adequate accommodation for the family of eight as well as meeting Trinity's requirements..
A utility room on the ground floor had to be converted into a bedroom for the Abbey Court special school pupil in Strood,who needs 24-hour care.
Kirsty, 32,of Concord Avenue, said : "The biggest compromise for us was the garden. We had very limited choice of houses because we needed a home that could eventually suit Trinity's high demands. Therefore, at the time, the house was more important than the garden."
The full-time carer said the 120ft garden had now become an issue because they were unable to spend time outdoors as a family.
Her fiance Lee Parsons,44, a landscape gardener has managed to level off a small section but this not enough space for the close-knit family to enjoy time with each other at get-togethers..
They have now been nominated by friends for a "Magical Garden Makeover " in a competition organised by online marketplace for homeowners MyBuilder.com in conjunction with Dobbies garden centres.
Ms Selves, who is also mum to Arthur,three and one-year-old Louie, said Lee had taken a week off work to complete the first stage of work, but had to take on labour.
She said: "It comes down to cost.Lee can't afford to take 10 weeks off to do the whole garden and it would cost thousands.We are only asking for another section to be done.
"The garden is massively important to Trinity. Sensory is essential, whether it's leaves waving in the wind or sunlight.She becomes a different person."
The family also includes Charley,25, who has moved out, but lives nearby, Jaylee,19 and Ethan,15.
To vote for her to win the prize, visit https://www.mybuilder.com/competitions/garden-makeover-2018/entries/11553
Closing date is Sunday.
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