Volunteers help make girl's garden safe to play in

The garden will also be accessible for wheelchairs in case Isla needs to use one

Volunteers are working to help a little girl with a rare genetic bone condition by making her garden safe for her to play in.

Isla, from Aylestone in Leicester, was born with mandibuloacral dysplasia, which makes her bones brittle and causes the seven-year-old to age prematurely.

Her mother Stacey said a team from the Leicester-based Community Wishes started giving the garden a makeover on Monday.

Isla said it was "very exciting" to see her garden transforming.

A group of volunteers have helped to level out the garden as well as paint fences

Stacey said: "It's just going to be a safe place for Isla to grow her independence and go out and play.

"We had an incident when we went camping she tripped on a little bit of grass and broke her wrist. It's very easily done.

"So it's always something we've always been trying to do by making sure it's level, so she can run around, play safely and just enjoy being a seven-year-old."

The volunteers have dug out the garden's patio area so they can resurface the space and will be painting fences next, with Isla deciding what patterns and colours will be used.

A wall has also been removed so a ramp can be added.

Prof Pradeep Vasudevan, consultant clinical geneticist at University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust, described Isla's condition as "very rare" with fewer than 50 cases recorded in medical literature.

Stacey thanked the volunteers for their work.

"Everyone's got their own issues and problems in life," she said.

"These are selfless acts where they're coming to help us, so we can live a bit more comfortable life.

"It's crazy and amazing at the same time."

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