Pitching in for Christmas

By Kath Gannaway
A RAMP, or rather no ramp, was the one thing that looked like stopping Warburton resident Joel de Munk from spending Christmas with his family.
Joel suffered spinal cord damage when he was knocked down by a car in June last year.
Christmas with his Healesville family, including two daughters, Scout and Lilli, was to be his homecoming after months of working hard on rehabilitating himself for life in a wheelchair.
“The doctors looking after Joel were so impressed that they agreed that he was ready to come home for Christmas,” his brother Dean said.
The next hurdle was access to the family home in a hilly part of Healesville.
Dean said like many houses in the area the only way into the house was down steep steps.
When the Traffic Accident Commission (TAC) hadn’t started on the ramp 10 days before Christmas, things were not looking hopeful.
They were told it was a five-day job and there was a real danger Joel wouldn’t be able to spend Christmas with the family.
Then, in true Christmas tradition, a star appeared… in the guise of local excavator Scott Thomas. Dean had mentioned the situation to Scott, also a young dad, and it hit home.
“I had all my equipment booked up until after Christmas but those guys are doing it hard so we just went up there and got it done,” Scott said.
He organised with Shane Donkin at Healesville Building Supplies to pitch in with the materials and phoned Dean.
“It was a tremendous surprise. He just said let’s build the ramp now, this job is a priority!” Dean recalled.
“Not only did he do the job, he volunteered his time and machinery and completed the ramp for Joel just in time to take his own daughter to the local carols.”
“I did have a couple of jobs on,” Scott said last week, playing down what was by any account a terrific effort.
“It just good to see what a few blokes pulling together and helping someone in need can do,” he said.
Joel had a chance to thank Scott personally last week and says there is no doubt he made their Christmas.
“Things have been pretty hard but you just have to stay positive,” he said.
“Grizzling only makes life harder plus I have two little girls who need me to be a happy man.”
Life has changed for Joel, but he is facing the challenges with the help of family and friends… including new friends like Scott.
A disability worker before his accident, Joel said the past six months had restored his faith in human nature.