A GROUP of friends have come together to help a man with a terminal and debilitating illness get the home that he needs.

Dan Galley was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) in March 2020, just before the first lockdown.

The 50-year-old is unable to use one of his arms and finds it almost impossible to walk after a rapid deterioration in his health.

Doctors gave him a life expectancy of anything between two or five years.

Daily Echo: Dan Galley's garden in Chessel Avenue, Southampton. Dan Galley's garden in Chessel Avenue, Southampton.

But now, more than two years on, his friends have rallied together to transform his home as part of a major revamp.

Last Saturday he celebrated his 50th birthday in the company of more than 70 friends and family.

Dan said that work to create a wetroom and bedroom on the ground floor of the home he shares with his wife and two sons had left the garden looking in a state.

But then, a group of his friends got together to help, giving up many hours of their own time to achieve a garden that Dan could enjoy.

Daily Echo: Dan Galley's garden in Chessel Avenue, Southampton.Dan Galley's garden in Chessel Avenue, Southampton.

He said: “I love it, I think it’s fantastic, it’s made such a difference. It's dog friendly, it's kid friendly.

“It just makes life so much easier because my wife doesn’t have to cut the grass, and the dogs can’t ruin it. It just makes such a difference.”

After a renovation to the family's property in Chessel Avenue, costing around £100,000, there was next to no money left for the garden.

But after hours of work to clean the garden, lay artificial grass, and deliver finishing touches, Dan has been left with a place he can now sit and enjoy and watch the ships pass by.

Daily Echo: Dan Galley's garden in Chessel Avenue, Southampton.Dan Galley's garden in Chessel Avenue, Southampton.

He added: “The garden was a mess when the building was finished. We just managed to get this done in time for me.

“It's fantastic what people are doing. I’d be completely stuck without them. Now I can actually go out and enjoy the garden.”

Ian Mitchell was Dan’s neighbour for around 20 years and was one of around eight people who helped complete the project.

He told the Echo: “I work in Southampton with a lot of people so it was a case of making a few phone calls.

“To give up a few weekends of my time when I have got essentially 20, 30 years of life left is nothing in comparison.”

Companies including Travis Perkins and Love it Lawns helped complete the garden project by offering discounted products to cut the cost. 

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