Christina Darkins, 66, lives in Sporle with her daughter Donna Mummery, 47, who has Down’s Syndrome and suffers with heart and lung problems which have caused her to need a pacemaker fitted.
Mrs Darkins said: “Donna has been very ill and caring for her by myself means we have neglected the garden. We just got on with it each day and didn’t realise how bad it was until it became more than a one-person job.
“We haven’t been in our garden for over four years. The brambles were over three foot high, the steps had crumbled and there were no hand rails.”
Ally Burrows, 41, owns gardening company Burrows and Howes, which has been based in Marham for 12 years.
The company has a team of Lady Landscapers, who were sent out to clear the family’s garden after Mrs Darkins called to ask for a quote on clearing the garden and making it safe.
Miss Burrows said: “Christina told me she was on a £500 budget for all the work and I knew the work would cost around £5,000 for the labour and materials.
“I decided I wanted us to do the work for free on the garden but knew we could not afford to provide all the materials.”
Miss Burrows added: “I’ve got all these ideas in my head to give Donna and her mum full access to the whole garden. I want to put in a deck and patio with ramps so Donna doesn’t have to drag her wheelchair across the grass.”
The team has gratefully received donations of patio and decking materials already, but is still in need of a swinging chair and plants.
She added: “Donna really has her heart set on her swinging chair and that’s the main thing we want for them to they can enjoy their garden again.
“I’d love to spend more on the project and really do up the garden for the family but there’s only so much we can do.”
Mrs Darkins said: “To see the garden clear was just so wonderful. It was all surreal, all I wanted was access to the top of the garden and that would have been more than enough but to want to do the whole thing up for us for free was so incredibly kind.
“I’m over the moon, it’s just such a caring thing to do that I can’t even find the words to do it justice.
“This is just the effect Donna has on people, she’s the nicest person on this earth and she gets under people’s skin.”
She added: “I couldn’t say no when they offered to do this for Donna, I would never deprive her of anything and she has her heart set on sitting on her swing chair in the garden.
“All I want is to see her happy face peering down at me from the seat.
“Caring for Donna has taught me that it really is the simplest things in life that give you the greatest pleasure.”
The Lady Landscapers are planning to start the remodel this weekend. They have materials to provide a patio and ramps for Donna to get around, but they are still looking for plants and items to decorate the garden.
If you have any items you wish to donate, please contact Ally Burrows on 07906 73220.
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