The Garden of Dreams

Sometimes what we do is not all about something extraordinary, its not always about swimming with dolphins or visiting Mickey & friends. Sometimes people just need something to make them smile day to day, those little comforts that we all take for granted every single day. Sometimes its just about finding a way to ensure you enjoy those little things, you capture every single special moment you can before you have to come face to the face with your own battle. It’s about enjoying time with family, it’s about having a moment to relax your thoughts and it’s about smiling, inside & out. This is a dream that I think captures that desire.

“After hearing my diagnosis, the feelings I experienced myself and the feelings experienced by my friends & family were what you may expect. During that time everybody was amazing, they rallied around me and showed everything to me I would of hoped. It was at that point they would ask me the questions, “How could we help, what could we do to help you cope, lift your spirits or make you happy” Which I know talking about happy during a time like this sounds crazy but they wanted to help me however they could, plus a large number of them knew about EvesTrust.

You see in the past I have fundraised myself, I’ve donated and I’ve referred people to the charity, so I knew the amazing work they do, I’ve seen they joy they have brought to people experiencing what I am going through. It’s that reason it  didn’t feel right asking for or accepting their help, I was sure there were much worthier causes out there than my own.

However after realising my gruelling treatment and how it may impact on me, Gav the kids and I agreed to consider some help with the garden. My dream was to have a tidy, safe place to watch the kids play over the summer and something we could build on in the future.  I was worried about the impact on the kids and missing out on their fun.  We have a great support network offering to babysit the kids but I wanted to be and feel a part of it, so an area to watch them play felt perfect.  I also considered selfishly that if my immune system was low it could be a retreat and a place of tranquillity and relaxation.

Anyway fast forward a few months later and I cannot begin to express my gratitude.

We have a new patio, garden furniture and a shed and play house for the kids. We have a garden for the family, I can picture myself there, I can see the smiles of my family as we laugh and joke like every family will do during the summer. It gives us a place to get away from the treatments, the struggles and the word Cancer!

I have to say a huge thank you to Jim, he volunteered his time to us, and as a representative of the charity, so generously (mostly alone) and in all weathers to lay our stunning patio.  The generosity and kind nature of this man will stay with me forever. Knowing he was once in our shoes,  he came to represent the charity through an EvesTrust Dream himself. To me it shows what this charity does, it offers help and brings people together.  Obviously he did have some help, the occasional labouring from friends & family (thanks Kieron, Sam and Lewis), not forgetting the additional volunteers from the Trust (Shiree and Keeley) as they helped to clear the garden.

In the end…….we had our garden J

Thank you to EvesTrust, volunteers and friends and family from the bottom of our hearts and from a very grateful and humbled Lawton family ❤”