Chesterfield mum-of-three in bid to create fully accessible garden for mobility-stricken son, aged 20, with dementia

Charlie Beresford, 20, was diagnosed with dementia and a rare form of motor neurone disease four years ago, causing him to lose the majority of his mobility.

His mum, Anna Tesdale, says she realised just how important an outdoor space was for Charlie after having work carried out on small area of garden at their Old Whittington bungalow in 2020.

She has now launched a fundraiser to help provide a more accessible area for her son and finally clear the rest of the garden, which was once fully overgrown with weeds and brambles.

Anna, 39, said: “I’d love to create a safe and accessible space that our whole family can use.

"The garden has been my nemesis - it was full of overgrown weeds and brambles and whilst I’ve made a dent in it year-on-year - the biggest thing has been that we’ve had a small section adapted to accessible for Charlie and it has improved his quality of life.

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"He loves going outside in his chair or even with his Zimmer frame on good days to throw some hoops.”

As a single mother, Anna works tirelessly to ensure the safety and health of her three children – 13-year-old Mac, who has autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and hypermobility; George, 17, who nearly died in 2020 after having a very rare autoimmune response to Covid-19; and Charlie.

She had also been studying for a degree in social work at university when, in her last year, Charlie began getting ill.

Throughout his life, Anna had suspected that Charlie was autistic but was never able to get confirmation of this from doctors.

She said: “He had all the signs; wasn’t as sociable as other children, he didn’t have a lot of friends and would often get flustered and angry.”

Charlie later began slurring his speech and regularly losing his balance but, as the family began their arduous journey of tests, it just seemed like a futile struggle for Anna to find out what was wrong with her son.

He was put on hormone therapy and, when he didn’t respond to the treatment, Anna said “it just reinforced the idea that something was wrong.”

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Sadly, this put a stop to Anna’s higher education and hopes to get a bigger, new house – with the family moving into the accessible bungalow in Old Whittington shortly after Charlie’s diagnosis and Anna taking on the role of carer for her son.

Despite everything he has been through, Charlie is still “such a kind and incredible human being”, according to his mum.

He has been able to complete a Level 1 Childcare course, a Level 1 Health & Social Care Course, Level 1 Computing (alongside certificate), and recently finished his Level 1 Tennis Coaching Course where he helps on Saturday mornings with children aged eight and under.

As well as this, he received his first official tennis wheelchair which has really helped him find his passion for the sport.

He is even incorporating his further studies with his diagnosis, having researched the technology used in helping less-abled people and how to make it more accessible for others, as part of a college assignment.

Wanting to do up the garden but struggling with where to start, Anna approached Becky Measures of the Meas-Maz Network agency and enquired about fundraising and how to start planning for something towards the end of the year.

Becky was more than happy to jump on board and took the wheel, incorporating Meas-Maz Network and its brand new following.

She and Maz Kenyon, also of the network, then paid Anna a surprise visit with the camera crew for a small back garden interview to share as a public call-to-action.

The pair then rallied a team to meet the following week and start planning how to create the perfect outdoor space for Charlie and the family.

Since then, Anna says she has been ‘blown away’ by the support she has received and remains keen to raise the £5,000 needed to renovate the garden.

She said: “Ideally I have big dreams. I’d love a hide out where they can hang out with their pals or each other away from me.

"Low maintenance is a must because thanks to years of lugging wheelchairs and not moving and handling well I’m plagued with my glass back but all I really would love is for it to be level and accessible for his chair - so I don’t have to dig him out the mud - I started this a few years ago but the pandemic hit and I just felt like I couldn’t carry on with it.”

Posting on the fundraising page, she added: “I am absolutely blown away at how Becky and Maz have taken this and the way they have supported us, Meas-Maz Network you are incredible!

"It’s so easy to sit at home and feel like you are in a prison and that you are alone, but as Charlie Macksey says the bravest thing you can say is help.

"There will never be enough words to express the gratitude I feel to each and everyone of you who have offered your time, donations and well wishes - you’ve brightened up some of the darkest days.”

For those who want to donate to the community garden project for Charlie and his family visit www.gofundme.com/f/accessible-space-for-charlie.

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