Waterlooville greenkeepers hailed ‘a great group of lads’ for volunteering to spruce up the garden of dad left almost blind after two cardiac arrests and severe sepsis

PRAISE has been heaped on to a team of golf course greenkeepers who volunteered their time to spruce up the garden of a Waterlooville dad who ‘died twice’.
The mounds of rubble which sat in Ricky Kirk's garden before the Campaign for Ricky was launched. Picture: Habibur RahmanThe mounds of rubble which sat in Ricky Kirk's garden before the Campaign for Ricky was launched. Picture: Habibur Rahman
The mounds of rubble which sat in Ricky Kirk's garden before the Campaign for Ricky was launched. Picture: Habibur Rahman

Ricky Kirk, 39, had aspired to rejuvenate his family’s Galaxie Road back garden until he suffered two cardiac arrests on June 25, 2018.

What followed was a three-month spell at Queen Alexandra Hospital, before he returned home to his fiancée Clarissa Knight and their three-year-old son, George, brain-damaged and almost blind after contracting severe sepsis and pneumonia.

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Ricky’s story
Ricky Kirk, centre, and Clarissa Knight, right, on the day of the Campaign for Ricky, which was backed by The News. Picture: Duncan ShepherdRicky Kirk, centre, and Clarissa Knight, right, on the day of the Campaign for Ricky, which was backed by The News. Picture: Duncan Shepherd
Ricky Kirk, centre, and Clarissa Knight, right, on the day of the Campaign for Ricky, which was backed by The News. Picture: Duncan Shepherd
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But boosted by The News, a community drive, the Campaign for Ricky, saw scores of Hampshire firms get their hands dirty to finally give Mr Kirk his dream garden on April 13.

That work was generously continued on Wednesday by seven staff from Waterlooville Golf Club.

Clarissa, who launched the campaign with pal Michelle Dewdney, said: ‘They worked super hard since 10am rotavating our garden, weeding, seeding and planting – it really does look fantastic.

‘There’s white sheeting over the garden at the moment to encourage growth of the grass but we’re so grateful for the fantastic job they did.

‘They’re a great group of lads and we had a good laugh too.’

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