A 12-year-old girl, who was left with severe learning difficulties, will be able to play safely in her back garden for the first time after volunteer builders and landscapers completed a project at her home in Craigavon, Northern Ireland.

Aiva Barry and her family have thanked volunteers from award-winning construction charity Band of Builders for landscaping the outdoor space and erecting fencing around it – as the finishing touch to a bigger project where the family obtained funding to build a new ground-floor bedroom and bathroom for her.

Speaking at the handover of the project, Aiva, along with mum Catrina, dad Ciaran (who is a landscaper) and sisters Catlin and Orlaith, said: “It looks amazing and we can’t thank everyone involved enough for coming together as a team to create an area where Aiva can play safely. She’s looking forward to having a new bunny rabbit and a hot tub in her new garden.” 

Aiva was just 2½ years old when she suddenly stopped breathing. It took three to four minutes before her parents were able to resuscitate her – and she was rushed to hospital. She was later diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy, called electrical status epilepticus during sleep (ESES). 

It was one of the builders who built the extension to their home that signposted the Barry family to Band of Builders – a registered charity that completes practical projects to help members of the UK construction industry and their families who are battling illness or injury – as the funding for the home renovation didn’t cover the outside area, which needed to be safe and secure for Aiva.

 

The charity put out a call for help to the 50,000+ members of its community of supporters and well-wishers and enlisted support from businesses that support the charity. 

JP Corry, one of Northern Ireland’s leading builders merchants, was the headline sponsor for the project, which was also supported by the charity’s National Landscaping Partner, Talasey.

The week-long project (which was hampered by the weather) was the charity's 34th – its second in Northern Ireland – and involved creating a seating area, laying paving and installing outdoor lighting in the 70m2. area.

Project Manager Marcus McGee thanked the five volunteers who took part, including Aiva’s dad, and said: “Band of Builders has done what it does best in helping our own in the construction industry and completing projects that will make a huge difference to the lives of tradespeople and their families,” he said.

“Having a safe outdoor space means the world to Aiva – and the smile on her face has made it all worthwhile.”