1 week Ago
But thanks to a life-changing garden makeover by WellChild and Hilti volunteers, she now has a safe, accessible, sensory-rich outdoor space to call her own. Grace lives with Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy, brain damage, and chronic lung disease and is registered blind. She is non-verbal and a full-time wheelchair user who requires round-the-clock care.
Her family home in the north of England had a completely inaccessible garden with uneven ground and loose stones, which made it impossible for her to join her sisters outside. “It’ll be amazing because we all love getting outside, but Grace hasn’t been able to safely,” said her mum, Katarina Meager. “It’ll make such a difference because we don’t really go out much.
Grace doesn’t like being out too much; it’s overwhelming, but we still want her to have more of a living space and not be stuck in the same four walls.” Grace’s new garden, completed just days before her 16th birthday on April 15, includes a wheelchair platform swing, sensory planting, smooth decking, and artificial grass. All of it was tailored to her abilities and interests by the Helping Hands programme at children’s charity WellChild.
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“Because their family are often their full-time carers, they either don’t have the money to transform their gardens or the time, or both. The Helping Hands Programme aims to give children access to a private, safe and sensory environment so they can explore, play and have fun.” Katarina agrees: “It’ll be fantastic.
It’ll mean we can all do stuff as a family together in an outdoor environment. We’ve known for a long time that Grace’s life is limited, but we just wanted to make sure we can pack in as much as we can. Her being able to enjoy the garden with her sisters means the world to us.
” Steven Meager, Grace’s dad, said the new garden will improve every part of their family life. “Having access to an outside space is really important, especially to our family in the summer on the rare days it is sunny up here,” he said. “It opens up a whole new world for her.
It increases her living space so Grace isn’t confined to just her room or the living room.” The transformation includes a custom-built swing designed to support Grace’s wheelchair. “Her brain condition means she can’t see very well unless she’s moving or something’s moving,” explained Katarina.
“That’s why she really enjoys swings. But she hasn’t been able to access one safely. She gets frustrated because her canvas isn’t focused.
Being able to swing means she can see more of her environment.” (Image: Safiyyah Tayyeb and Roger Merritt) Grace’s mum found out about the opportunity through a Facebook group for parents of children with life-limiting conditions. “Someone posted that WellChild’s application was open, so I immediately applied,” said Katarina.
“We’re incredibly grateful. All these people giving their own time. The volunteers, the corporate sponsors, the money and time they’ve put aside for us.
” Hilti volunteer Donna Fent, who helped lay the lawn and assisted with planting, was deeply moved by the experience. “We’re super excited to get involved. It was a lot tougher than we thought, a lot more manual work, but also super rewarding.
We can see the garden taking shape, and it looks like something usable for her, which is absolutely amazing,” she said. “We all work together as a team but have individual roles with a shared goal of helping Grace. I’m proud of it all and everyone helping out.
” The garden is more than just a place to sit. It’s now a part of Grace’s home where she can thrive, grow, and connect with her family in once-impossible ways. “It’s just a sigh of relief for us knowing she’s safe,” said Katarina.
“The more active Grace is and the more she does, the healthier life she’ll live. If she’s sad, disengaged, and not motivated, she forgets the natural things that we take for granted. So being able to have access to something like this means we can keep her healthy, and we hope she lives as long as she can as healthily as she can.
” For other parents facing similar challenges, Steven had a clear message. “Anyone out there looking at their garden thinking they want help, just apply,” he said. “They’re lovely people.
If you want a safe, accessible space, then they’re the ones to turn to. Together, Hilti and WellChild have changed our lives. I can’t believe it.
” To learn more about WellChild’s programmes or to apply, visit www.wellchild.org.
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