Volunteers help make a girl’s yard safe for play
Volunteers help a little girl with a rare bone disease by making her yard safe for play.
Isla, from Aylestone in Leicester, was born with mandibuloacral dysplasia, which makes her bones brittle and causes the seven-year-old to age prematurely.
Her mother Stacey said a team from Leicester-based organisation Community Wishes began transforming the garden on Monday.
Isla said it had been “very exciting” to watch her garden transform.
Stacey said: “It will just be a safe place for Isla to develop her independence and go out and play.
“We had an incident when we went camping. She tripped on some grass and broke her wrist. That can happen very easily.
“We’ve always tried to make sure everything is level so she can run around, play safely and just enjoy her seven-year-old life.”
The volunteers have dug up the patio area of the garden so they can resurface the space. Next they will paint the fences, with Isla deciding what patterns and colors to use.
Additionally, a wall was removed so that a ramp could be added.
Prof Pradeep Vasudevan, consultant clinical geneticist at the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, described Isla’s condition as “very rare”, with fewer than 50 cases recorded in the medical literature.
Stacey thanked the volunteers for their work.
“Everyone has their own problems and difficulties in life,” she said.
“These are selfless acts that help us to live a more comfortable life.
“It’s crazy and unbelievable at the same time.”
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