£148Million Lotto Winner Buys Disabled Boy's Family A New House

A woman who won £148million on the lottery with her partner has paid for the complete renovation of a disabled boy's family home.

Gillian Bayford and her husband at the time, Adrian, made headlines back in 2012 when they bagged one of the biggest jackpots in British history.

She decided to set up her own charitable foundation and was moved by the story of Blake McMillan, who suffers a rare neurological disorder known as MECP2 Duplication Syndrome.

The four-year-old is cared for by his mother, Jenny, as he can't walk or talk and needs 24/7 care. Tragically, he also suffers from seizures and they're becoming more frequent.

Gillian has a property business, A&G Properties, and Jenny popped in one day and said that she needed a new home that was tailored to Blake's needs. She asked to be informed if anything came up. Gillian explained: "A couple of weeks later it came to light that a house on the high street was going back on the market.

"A&G Properties has offered, and she's kindly accepted, that we will pay for the balance of the upgrade and work that needs to be carried out as a Christmas present, I suppose, to Blake.

"It then allows any money Jenny has fundraised to go to finding a treatment.

"Jenny is a complete inspiration. She works so hard and if the fact that I, and the girls here, can help bring Blake here then we'll do it."

Jenny told the Metro: "I was totally in awe that Gillian would do something like this. I'll be paying rent but Gillian didn't have to do something like this. She's doing me a massive favour.

"I was in tears when she told me. I'm so grateful. I'll be able to look after Blake in a safe and secure environment and it means the world.

"In this house I can always be within eye shot of Blake. Gillian has given me peace of mind."

What an inspirational story.

We want to showcase YOUR stories. What are you doing to benefit the community? Is your mate doing something awesome for someone else? Even if you're just helping your next door neighbour in the cold winter months - we want to know about it. Email us with your story - [email protected] and you could be featured next week.

Featured image credit: PA Images/Facebook

Topics: Charity, Lotto, Disability, Lottery

Mel Ramsay

Mel Ramsay has been a Senior Journalist for Tyla and LADbible since 2015. She started her career writing obituaries and funeral guides online. Since then, her work has been published in a wide variety of national and local news sites. She is part of the BBC's Generation project and has spoken about young people, politics and mental health on television, radio and online. Contact her - [email protected]

@melramsay_