What you don’t know is he is on borrowed time – Neil has Huntington’s Disease, an inherited disorder that results in the death of brain cells.
But that is not stopping Neil from doing everything to give back to the Echuca-Moama community.
For the past two years, Neil has been volunteering as part of Community Living and Respite Service’s (CLRS) Recyclability program.
And Neil’s wife Helen said it had given him a new lease on life.
“It’s been terrific to see him become so involved in the community,” she said.
“When the National Disability Insurance Scheme was announced, we were told Neil would be eligible and in a meeting with CLRS they asked if he would be interested in taking part.
“Before his diagnosis, he was a full-time worker on the farm, but we eventually had to sell when it all became too much.
“Having a sense of direction in his daily life has been great for us both.
“Neil started out volunteering a couple days a week, but now that has gone up to four – he just loves it that much.
“It makes me feel grateful and proud to have this type of program in our community.”
The program has played a big role in increasing Neil’s social interactions as he continues to meet new people.
Each day always looks a little different for Neil.
One day he might be handing out donation bags, then collecting them the next week.
But on another day, he is helping to repurpose second hand furniture at the Echuca Men’s Shed.
“He’s been a lot happier since joining in the program,” Helen said.
“Before that, he was staying at home a lot and the change is his attitude since has been amazing.”
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