Band of Builders finishes project for girl with learning difficulties

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.

Barry, 12, has severe learning difficulties and will now be able to play safely in her garden for the first time after the volunteers work on her home in Craigavon, in Northern Ireland.

Speaking at the handover of the project, Barry, 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.”

Barry was just two years old when she suddenly stopped breathing. This lasted three-four minutes before her parents were able to resuscitate her – and she was rushed to hospital.

It was initially thought that she had a heart defect and she underwent a range of paediatric tests, as her heart rate kept climbing and falling.

At that stage, epilepsy was ruled out because Barry wasn’t fitting or foaming at the mouth, so they didn’t think it was epilepsy at that point.

Over the next 18 months, Barry saw a number of doctors and underwent a battery of tests, where it was discovered that she did have a rare form of epilepsy called electrical status epilepticus during sleep (ESES).

Aiva was diagnosed as having 15q11.2 microdeletion – which is a rare chromosome abnormality in which a tiny piece of genetic material is missing. The most common features include developmental, motor and language delays; behaviour and emotional problems; attention deficit disorders; and ASD.

Aiva goes to a local school that specialises in supporting children with special educational needs.

It was one of the kind-hearted builders who built the extension 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.

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 – which is one of the UK’s leading independent suppliers of landscaping solutions.

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

Project manager Marcus McGee thanked the five volunteers, including Barry’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.”