A seriously-ill woman is asking friends to help her make her garden haven dream come true – in place of the 40th birthday party she could never properly enjoy anyway.

Three years ago Mo Pitts-Hannaford suffered a disastrous brain haemorrhage which left her in intensive care and she is still receiving treatment for the after-effects.

That was on top of already serious medical conditions which include a degenerative condition, which could see her needing an operation to replace a knee joint, and a second degenerative disease which attacks the central nervous system, similar to multiple sclerosis.

Much of the time she is unable to get out of bed and when she can she has to use crutches to get around.

On July 30, she will be celebrating her 40th birthday – and instead of the party her friends wanted to throw for her she is asking for a 'garden SOS'-style makeover.

Mo, who lives at School Court, Dartmouth, with husband Andy, said: 'I am very lucky to have a lot of good friends and a lot of them asked if I was having a party when I am 40 this year. I can't really have a party. I can't go out, I don't drink and I can't dance.'

So she came up with idea of having a kind of garden party instead – where friends could help her turn the small garden in front of her home into a private area where she can at least get outside for a while.

She pointed out she also continually suffers from vitamin D deficiency because she rarely gets out into the sunshine.

'I thought I could ask friends and relatives to sort out my garden to give me safe sanctuary where I can sit in comfort and privacy and get out into the open air. It's my absolute dream.'

At the moment the garden is open to the road, consists of paving slabs on two levels and is unsafe for her. Mo needs to get the garden levelled and fenced and maybe decked out with some plant containers.

Mo was already suffering from chondromalacia patella, affecting her knees, and fibromyalgia, leading to constant pain and fatigue.

Then, in June 2009, she suffered the brain haemorrhage, collapsed at home and ended up being treated in Torbay, Derriford and Bristol's Frenchay hospitals.

She is hoping to highlight her garden party plea on Facebook and she said: 'The idea is that instead of people giving me a birthday gift they give me some time and help.'

She said her husband, Andy, wants to pitch in and help with any of the work but they need expertise and help to actually do the job.