By Margaret Maccoll
Gavin Menkens credits Noosa Men’s Shed with dragging him out of depression and helping his rehabilitation following a burst brain aneurysm and giving him a new purpose in life.
Last Sunday, the garden he had built at the Men’s Shed proved the perfect spot for Gavin to marry Julie Lehnhoff. Members had built an arch for the wedding ceremony, decorated the shed and organised the catering.
Gavin, a former chef, met Julie, who was living in Bundaberg, in March 2013 via the Plenty of Fish dating website. Following three months of correspondence, they met in person and were engaged five months later.
“When I saw Julie, I knew that was the girl,” Gavin said.
Better job prospects in Noosa meant they decided Julie would resign from her administration position at Bundaberg North State School where she had worked for 22 years, and once established in her new home they would get married. In May 2014, Julie landed a job and moved to Noosa to join Gavin.
In July, Julie’s mum passed away suddenly. In the same month Gavin required surgery on his foot.
Julie said in November she attended a retirement dinner where Gavin was cooking.
“After he finished cooking, he said can we go home, I don’t feel well. He had a terrible headache. As we were leaving he tried to tell me something, but I couldn’t understand. I took him to the hospital and they ordered the chopper,” she said.
Gavin had surgery at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s hospital then was selected to receive intensive rehabilitation therapy at the Princess Alexandra Hospital’s Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit (BIRU) a unit with only 29 beds.
Gavin was at a low point when he returned home and after doctors had told him he wouldn’t be able to work again as a chef in the job he loved.
Julie said he needed something to occupy him.
She started dropping him off at Noosa Men’s Shed and Gavin’s mother Bev picked him. He was unable to speak, had little strength and had difficulty walking and while the other members, mostly older men, were busy building an art studio and then an ex-Army Lysaght Hut they assigned him to hosing duty.
A Men’s Shed spokesman said Gavin brought a new garden to life and with it his own physical health and mental wellbeing started to improve.
“Some men join at a very low point in their lives, – it could be illness, redundancy or retirement, divorce or the death of a spouse, but most seem to be able to find a sense of purpose again here,” he said.
“Gavin has told us we’ve saved his life and he’s also made a huge contribution to the work at the shed. It’s been very gratifying watching him recover far better than his doctors expected.”
Gavin is now at the shed three days a week, and encourages other men to join if only to go and have a chat.
“It’s like family,” he said.
