This is our story and I hope you can help us. I am a single mum of 2 children. My daughter Ava is 13 and my son Ashton is 20 and this is about him. Ashton has cerebral palsy ataxia, epilepsy, autisum, mobius syndrome, duanes syndrome, learning difficulties, severe asthma, eczema, severe allergies to all kinds of things and dyslexia among many other physical and physiological conditions, along with mental health issues due to years of bullying and having a mental age of 7-8 years old. He finds it exceedingly difficult and distressing to leave the house and with the current situation this makes it impossible due to him being medically high risk. We appreciate that the current lockdown will eventually be lifted but we are looking to the long term for Ashton and also for now to get outside to ensure fresh air and to help lift his mood and to enable him to be able to leave the house and go outside into a safe and secure space.

We wish to make an accessible outdoor area and structure for Ashton. He can no longer make his way upstairs to use the bathroom and bedroom so he is currently sleeping on the couch, which is far from ideal as he is over 6 feet tall, and using a commode in the kitchen which gives him virtually no privacy. It is our hope that we can construct for Ashton an exterior timber structure which he can use as his own daytime space, and with facilities to use a commode in privacy with safe access for him from our home to the garden and a flat safe area for him to sit without being inside all the time. Also a fence as the one we had was rotten and colapsed. While my daughter helps where she can, this is becoming a major struggle everyday and we feel that this outdoor area will give a marked improvement in Ashtons quality of life and a feeling of independence for many years to come. I have started some of the work briefly myself which has been paid for, but the costs have spiralled and that is why we are asking for your help. I have suffered 9 mini strokes with all the pressure and stress and my health has rapidly deteriorated also along with other conditions. Any contribution no matter how small would be so gratefully received. Thank you for taking the time to read Ashtons story.