Burnley boy with cerebral palsy has ‘life-changing’ garden revamp

Noah Pickard from Burnley is wheelchair dependant and solely reliant on his carers for activities.

Although he loves being outside, his garden is inaccessible to him due to muddy grass, borders and hard stone surfaces.

This is no longer the case thanks to WellChild, a national charity for seriously ill children, as Noah’s mum, Helen Pickard says the Helping Hand project volunteers performed a ‘complete miracle’ with a garden makeover.

On May 2 and May 3, volunteers from WellChild and Hilti company transformed the family's garden.

WellChild Helping Hands project for Noah in Burnley (Image: WellChild)

Helen said: “We can’t go on holiday because he’s a lot bigger so I can’t lift him anymore.

"His holidays are at home but the garden was inaccessible for Noah and when it snows my daughter would get to go out but he’d just have to watch. It’s really disheartening.

“So, I was thinking about doing the garden myself but when I got the quote for it, I thought there was no way I could ever afford it.

"But that same day, I received an email from WellChild about their Helping Hands project and they accepted my application within a month.”

Noah’s condition also affects his communication so it can be difficult to understand Noah’s wants and needs.

He couldn’t access the grass in the garden and there was nowhere for his family to enjoy being together but replacement surfacing provides better access and a way for Noah to socialise with his mum and sister as well as engage with nature in a safe and secure way.

A WellChild spokesperson said: “Our aim is to create a suitable, safe and accessible outside space where Noah can play, relax, gain independence and thrive.

“Most of the work goes into making the area safe and accessible and we use a wide range of materials such as decking and artificial grass to achieve this.”

Noah, a huge fan of The Beatles, and loves being surrounded by nature, says he is absolutely thrilled with the revamped garden.

Helen said: “The volunteers came at 6.30am on both days and they worked so hard. It was a big job but they did it amazingly, I couldn’t be happier.

“It’s life-changing for us and we have a hot tub from Make A Wish which is all set up now. The hot tub helps with his muscle spasms so he can go straight back in his room after going in.

“I’ve never been able to do any of this for him so the fact that people have volunteered their time to help is amazing. When people volunteer that’s when the magic happens. We’re just over the moon.”