An Uxbridge dad battling with leukaemia will receive a Ground Force-style garden make-over for his two-year-old twin sons to enjoy.
Richard Robbins, 33, was diagnosed with the blood cancer in April, after his wife was concerned about bruising that appeared without explanation.
Wife of four years, Lindsey, told getwestlondon her experience of Richard being diagnosed: “The positive is, when I woke up the morning after [the diagnosis] I thought, I can either fall to pieces and not deal with it or I can look at what is going on. The thing that sticks in my head is that he’s still alive.
“It was surreal when I think about it now but it also made me feel really strong. If someone told me that this was going to happen, I still would have married him, still would have had our children, we still would have done all the things that we’ve done and I wouldn’t have changed a thing.
“He’s still here and we should make the most of it rather than spend the time feeling upset and angry. It’s better to just be nice to each other and enjoy the time that we do have. I’m glad that I had that moment really early on because it’s really helped me. I wouldn’t swap anything, he’s my husband and I love him to bits.”
Richard and Lindsey, who both work for Hillingdon Council, married in 2011 and had twin sons, Oliver and Thomas, in 2013.
Lindsey said: “It’s the boys that I feel for because we’re in hospital all the time and Richard can’t do anything really.
“We’ve had to cancel two holidays this year and the children are at that age where they’re growing and learning so fast and now suddenly we can’t do any of these things, and it was really gutting, I think being with the children and knowing they may grow up without their dad is just awful.”
When a colleague at the council, Carla Batten, whose daughter was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia in 2011, heard about Richard, she offered her support and said her husband’s company is looking to help someone through a building project.
Now staff at LifeBuild Solutions have teamed up to create an exciting garden fit for twin toddlers with a climbing frame, astro turf - which came free from Wembley Stadium - and a new patio and path.
Twenty colleagues descended upon the couple’s house in Hows Road to begin work, which will be completed in three weeks.
Ken Adams, director of LifeBuild said: “It feels brilliant to help directly as opposed to just donating and it felt rewarding to see the staff members and everyone trying to do something. It was nice to give something back.
“We’re doing the easy bit, Richard has to struggle through, which we of course have fingers crossed for. We’ve been invited to go back for a glass of champagne after we’ve completed it, and before Richard goes off for his transplant. Theoretically everything should be finished by the end of the month.”
Mr Adams, alongside project manager Lee Batten, will also cycle from Lands End to John O’Groats on September 4 to raise funds to for both Leukaemia and Lymphoma and Anthony Nolan, who LifeBuild have supported for seven years.
You can support their charity cycle by visiting their JustGiving page.
