‘Bulletproof’ new lemon stand unveiled
A ‘‘fairly indestructible’’ replacement for a vandalised lemon stand has made the day for a physically challenged Nelson man.
Daniel Younghusband, who is legally blind and suffers from a rare genetic disorder, has been operating a roadside lemon stand in Stoke for several years to help pay the expenses for his eight-year-old dog Cassie.
The stand has been targeted by thieves several times this year, with money taken from the honesty box and the cart vandalised.
After the latest thefts, Mitre 10 Mega Nelson Helping Hands and Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology teamed up to build Younghusband a brand new stand, which was unveiled yesterday.
Younghusband said he didn’t know what he was going to be get, whether it was just a new cashbox or a whole new stand.
‘‘The new wheels are amazing – it’s just incredible what people can do.
‘‘It’s even got wheels that turn, so I don’t have to pull it. It’ll make it so much easier than dragging it around corners and lifting it – it’s brilliant.’’
The new stand was put together by engineer Dryden Adams and carpentry tutor Steve McIntyre from NMIT.
McIntyre said they worked on the project this week during lunch breaks and after work, using materials from around the NMIT workshop and others supplied by Mitre 10.
‘‘We went to work on the Monday, and by smoko time we had an old table we found in the workshop and some material left over from an old truck deck,’’ Adams said.
‘‘It all took shape , and went from there – it should be fairly indestructible.’’
Mitre 10 Nelson marketing coordinator Murray Leaning said the project had come together very quickly, with the new stand finished by Wednesday.
‘‘We joke that it’s been built by NMIT Over-engineering. It’s bulletproof, and we love it.
‘‘Hopefully, it will keep Daniel’s enterprise going, put a smile on his face and give him a bit of a lift.’’
Younghusband suffers from Seckel syndrome, a rare genetic form of dwarfism which has affected his mobility in recent years. He also has diabetes and is legally blind.
In the past the 35-year-old was able to be more physically active,
‘‘It’s amazing (that) the whole community has got together to help . . . I just want to say thank you to everyone.’’ Daniel Younghusband
and even attained a black belt in karate in 2011. However, in recent years he has been dealing with muscle weakness in his limbs, and as a result cannot work a normal job.
Along with his lemon stand, he runs a paua jewellery microbusiness, and is planning to do some motivational speaking in Nelson schools later this year.
Younghusband said he had received a huge amount of feedback from people in the past week, offering to help out.
‘‘You just have to take it with grace and appreciate it.
‘‘It’s amazing (that) the whole community has got together to help – to help me in this case. I just want to say thank you to everyone.’’