“ENORMOUS thanks” have been given to community groups, builders and suppliers who have helped to make a disabled seven-year-old girl’s dreams come true.
Just five months ago, Dakota Read’s garden in Broadgate, Weston Hills, wasn’t a place she could venture in her walker due to its bumpy terrain.
Now she has a new lease of life, thanks to those who rallied round to transform it into a safe haven to play by chipping in cash, free labour and materials and other items at cost price.
Dakota’s mum Paula said: “Dakota has watched as each stage of the transformation has taken place, with smiles to the workers and verbal sounds of pleasure and thanks.
“She has been able to now go out into the garden on warm days and go all over it to explore in her walker, something that she has not been able to do for seven-and-a-half years.
“To that end we owe a great deal of gratitude to all who made this possible.
“This really has been a year to remember and we would like to wish everyone a very wonderful Christmas and prosperous New Year.”
Dakota quadriplegic dystonic cerebral palsy and other medical complications, meaning she is unable to walk unaided.
In the past she would have been forced to remain in the same position in her walker or lay on the grass.
Now she can freely wheel down the path to the pond. A gazebo, installed by Broadgate Homes, provides shelter from the sun in the day and is lit up by more than 500 twinkling lights at night over the patio. There is also now a completely flat concrete driveway.
Steve Willson, who runs West Pinchbeck-based building firm SR Willson Building Contractors, was one of the first to volunteer to help with the project, along with Darren Wilson, of D Wilson Builders.
Steve said: “When I read saw Dakota’s story it touched me because our son Lee had problems when he was born.
“He was strangled for 20 minutes but luckily a doctor was on-hand and he went into intensive care for a long time.
“Lee has worked on this project with me.”
Steve praised the generosity of everyone who has helped along the way.
He added: “It’s been a real pleasure to work for her.”