A TERMINALLY ill Ringwood boy is to get a much-needed garden transformation after winning the hearts of more than 1,000 voters.

Jon Tarrant-Heckford, seven, suffers from Sanfilippo Syndrome, an incurable metabolic disorder that blocks the breakdown of complex sugars in the body, causing them to build up and destroy brain cells, leaving children unable to walk, talk or swallow.

Jon and his mum and dad Lorraine and Steve were nominated in the Mybuilder.com competition. They

received 1,632 votes from the public.

Mybuilder.com was so touched by Jon's story it decided to choose two winners and will provide £1,000 towards the project and cover the costs of materials to transform the family garden.

Jon’s mum Lorraine said: “We are over the moon and very excited about it. It is going to be so lovely for Jon and his friends to share. Everyone’s generosity and kindness to Jon seems to have touched everybody’s lives.”

The family was nominated by David Bowen, of Direct Gravel Supplies in Ringwood, who will be carrying out the work on the garden with the help of a team of volunteers.

A Mybuilder.com spokesman said: “All the stories of heart-breaking life-limiting illnesses, near fatal heart attacks, disability and financial difficulty really touched our hearts and we felt we wanted to select two winners and award them both with a garden makeover.

“Our official winner is Nicola Machin from Willenhall, but we could not see Lorraine and Steve go away with nothing, so we will help the nominator David Bowen by providing £1,000 towards the project and assist in sourcing the materials to provide Jon with a safe garden to play in.

“It was a fantastic competition and it has given a lot of positive exposure to two children who suffer from awful diseases, who despite everything they have been through still smile through it and inspire us all.

"We look forward to transforming the two gardens into something that will have a life changing impact for the families and create a space they have always dreamt of.”