Bury St Edmunds brothers with an incurable condition need a 'safe haven', says mum

Two young brothers from Bury St Edmunds, who both have an incurable muscle wasting disease, are in with the chance of getting a garden of their dreams.

Alfred and Arthur Marchant, 10 and eight respectively, were entered into the MyBuilder 's Magical Garden Makeover competition by their mum, Jenny, who wants the boys to have somewhere to play safely.

"I just want my boys to have a garden where they can play together and catch their frisbee without the fear of falling and not being able to get back up," said Jenny, of Lark Close.

"They can't get out into the community much because of their condition so it would be great to have a safe haven that they can go to when we're having really bad days."

The two boys suffer from Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a genetic disorder that causes muscles to become weak and eventually stop working. It also affects learning ability and behaviour.

As a result, the boys spend a lot of time in wheelchairs, which they will eventually need permanently.

Jenny and her husband Tony, 35, have been meaning to transform the garden for the boys for more than two years, but have found it difficult to find the time due to Tony working long hours and Jenny being a full-time carer to her sons.

"The garden is in a state. The ground is uneven, the boys are always picking up bits of sharp stone and it backs on to a field of horses which is only separated by a barbed wire fence which isn't very good," said Jenny, 38.

"I know what's ahead of us. I just don't want them one day to not be able to run and play and know that I should have given them the garden they deserved while they could do those things."

The competition is currently in the public voting stage, which closes on Sunday. The 12 entries with the most votes will be short-listed and a winner will be picked by a judging panel.

Jenny's entry is currently sixth, with more than 1,500 votes.

"I'd be ecstatic if we won, I think I'd probably cry. It's just another thing ticked off that we want to do. Time is not on our sides and it's always ticking away so it would be great to have somewhere where we can be a family and enjoy it all together," she said.

To vote, visit mybuilder.com/competitions/garden-makeover-2018/entries/10382