Wedding

The other members, mostly older men, were busy building an art studio and then an ex-Army Lysaght Hut originally made for the Vietnam War in the late 1960s.

They assigned Gavin to hosing duties and as he brought a new garden to life his own physical health and mental wellbeing started to improve. 

He attended the Shed two days a week and his mother, Bev, and fiancé, Julie, were originally his taxi drivers. As friendships developed his fellow Shed members took over.  Gavin is now at the shed three times a week.

A Noosa Men’s Shed spokesman said ‘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.’

‘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.’

‘So apart from a wedding, we’ll be celebrating Gavin’s recovery and the unique Men’s Shed program that is helping men realise they are not alone and to find a sense of peace and purpose and improve their health and wellbeing.’

Background

Gavin’s aneurysms in 2014

In November 2014, just after finishing work as a chef, Gavin at age 55 had a severe headache and immediately had trouble speaking (some words were unrecognizable) and he could not say his fiancée’s name (Julie).  He knew who she was but he couldn’t say it.

His fiancé took him to the emergency department at Noosa Hospital.  As soon as they told the doctor about the symptoms, Gavin was immediately taken in for a scan and then the helicopter flew him to Brisbane.

He had a burst brain aneurysm and was bleeding in the brain.  The doctors reluctantly operated (a difficult five-hour operation) to stop the bleeding and to coil ten other aneurysms.  The operation was all done through the main artery in the groin.

He then spent two weeks in the intensive care unit and nearly another three weeks in the neurology ward at Royal Brisbane Hospital. Due to throat complications, he also had a tracheotomy and a nasal feeding tube fitted as any food he swallowed went straight to his lungs.

After he was eventually fed pureed food, Gavin was fortunate to be accepted at the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit (BIRU) at the Princess Alexandra Hospital.  This is the only such unit in Queensland and he spent three months there receiving intensive speech therapy, physio and occupational therapy.

Gavin’s brain was damaged mainly in the speech area.  He has aphasia which means he has trouble finding the right words and cannot write.

Three other small aneurysms remain in his brain and will need regular monitoring.

Joining Noosa Men’s Shed

Nine months after his brain surgery Gavin joined the Noosa Men’s Shed in September 2015.  Julie mostly drove him in on Tuesday and Thursday mornings and his mum Bev collected him around noon.  He had difficulty walking, no physical strength and little speech ability. 

With these limitations, what could he do in a new men’s shed where the emphasis was on physical work such as landscaping, construction, woodwork and metalwork?  The solution was found when fellow Shed member, Bill Lodge stuck a garden hose in his hand and asked him to water some of the then meagre gardens just being developed.

Gavin then found he could contribute to the Shed and enjoy the company of older men (as he now often reminds them). With difficulty, he began to talk about his problems and his limitations and found that most Shed members have some illness impacting on their lives and that he was not alone.  Eighteen months later, Gavin now considers the Men’s Shed has saved him and helped him recover much better than his doctors expected.

Gradually Gavin became physically stronger and confident with his walking and talking.  His sense of humour was infectious and inspired others to respond in kind (and unkindly in a friendly male manner).  A few of the other members living near to Gavin began relieving Julie and his Mum (Bev) of their taxi tasks and before long, he was a much-needed member of the garden and landscaping groups.

As his strength and coordination improved, Gavin also became involved in assisting in a physically demanding task familiar to many members of the Shed – shifting building materials from one location to another and then sometimes back again.  He joined in the good-natured complaining, established a reputation for his enthusiastic hard work and was a valued team member.

Eighteen months later, Gavin is now one of the hardest working members of the Shed.  With some technical advice from Bill Lodge and many others, he has physically planted most of the garden species and new trees on the one hectare site.  With the subsequent increased maintenance caused by all this planting, Gavin now comes to the Shed three days a week to keep up with the work.

He tires easily and needs to rest or have a sleep every afternoon and is often in bed early at night.

Gavin has constant headaches needing medication for this and blood pressure.  He also has numbness and nerve pain down his right side.  Prior to his burst brain aneurysm he had not been taking any medication and rarely had a headache.

The doctors could not say why the aneurysm had suddenly burst.  Despite the improvements with his speech and movement Gavin has recently been told he will never be able to return to work.  The best way to fulfill his new life is to continue at the Men’s Shed or other volunteer work.

Gavin is a different man to the one who first joined the Shed and seems to have defied the predictions of his doctors.  He has gained a lot from being a member, but equally the Noosa Men’s Shed has benefited from his company & all his work around it and the members have marveled at his progress from those early days in late 2014.  It has been a win-win for all of us.

Julie Lehnhoff’s Story

Julie and Gavin met online in March 2013 via the Plenty of Fish dating website. Julie was based in Bundaberg and Gavin lived three hours away in Noosa. Following three months of correspondence they met in person. Love blossomed quickly and five months later they became engaged at Julie’s office Christmas party. 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 finally gained a temp contract at Kuluin State School (near Maroochydore) and moved to Noosa to join Gavin.

Life got in the way of their plans. Following Julie’s move, her mum – Bundaberg identity 'Ivy James of Hanbury St' known for making and icing locals’ wedding cakes for 50 years - passed away suddenly. Her still new fiancé had his first ever operation – minor foot surgery in July. In November Gavin’s brain aneurysm burst and almost five months of trips back and forwards to Brisbane followed.

It has been an emotional time since Julie’s big move to the Sunshine Coast but Gavin’s family have been a great support.  She has worked in a few different schools, met some lovely people and is now working at Peregian Springs State School.

Gav has come a long way and she is very proud of him.  The Noosa Men's Shed has provided best recovery support for both of us.  On Tuesday and Thursday mornings she drops Gavin at the Shed on my way to work and he is always telling her to hurry up because he has lots to do ‘I've got to be there early!’