There's a special structure taking shape on a quiet street in Henty.
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An attractive modern construction, its foundations are built on more than concrete, bricks and mortar.
Within its freshly painted walls and finely finished cabinetry, lies a much greater vision.
A house with windows of hope offering a haven for our most vulnerable - and those who look after them.
A home with an open door and a welcome mat out from a community that cares.
The road less travelled
Alison Campbell admits she's had to "toughen up".
"I've had to divorce myself from being a mother as a carer ... because you have to face this every day," the 70 year-old says.
She's quick to correct people when they ask, "How are you?"
"I'm anti that question because if you really told people how you felt, they'd never speak to you again."
Peter, 71, is more quietly spoken than his wife, but the pain of grappling with their daughter's ongoing illness is evident.
"It definitely breaks your heart," the 71-year-old farmer agrees.
Ainslie Campbell, 34, is house-bound and bed-bound with the devastatingly complex myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (MECFS).
Most day are a "fog" for Ainslie, her mum explains.
There is extreme fatigue, muscle pain, dizziness and rapid heart palpitations that come with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and depression from the imposed confinement.
She needs assistance with the simplest of daily tasks.
Her parents - Ainslie's full-time carers - can only speak to their daughter in whispers (if they speak to her at all on the "really bad days") due to her extreme sensitivity to light and sound.
They've even sound-proofed her bedroom.
Such is the excruciating pain of letting the noise of the outside world in.
It seems like a long time ago now - a roller-coaster of illness and "scrambling for answers" since Ainslie contracted glandular fever and six months later was diagnosed with MECFS.
That was 2016 and since that time Alison and Peter's new normal became a whole new world as carers of a loved one with chronic fatigue.
No respite to be found
Until you become a carer for someone with a disability, long-term illness or mental health condition, it's hard to fathom the relentless commitment required to sustain, well, just day-to-day life.
You can't just duck off on a holiday - or even a much-longed visit to see your gorgeous three-year-old grand-daughter, Florence, in Hobart.
"You just can't do it," Alison states.
There's meticulous organisation required - for even the simplest of everyday tasks.
Even after you've moved off the farm and into town.
Even when you live next door to the person you're caring for.
"You have to be nearby, you have to be available 24-7," she adds.
When Peter and Alison entered "the world of people who are carers" they realised so much more needed to be done.
That carers were in desperate need of respite options - and it's a lifeline harder to find in rural communities.
A couple of "casual conversations" with the local health advisory commitee would set the wheels in motion for the Campbells to decide on a major philanthropic project for Henty.
They embarked on a tour of respite facilities around the region, interviewed health services, and considered research on the range of NDIS-funded disabilities in local health areas.
They liked the look of a facility at Yarrawonga, which included a five-bedroom house with a permanent carer, where a person could be dropped off for 7 to 10 days while families had a holiday.
After that things fell very quickly into place.
'Big build for a small town'
Local health advisory committee chair Mick Broughan well remembers those early heady days of excitement at the magnitude of this gift to the community.
"It's incredible; this sort of thing doesn't happen very often," he told the Border Mail last year.
Avondale Place is now in the hands of a "wonderful board" and in January this year the Henty Respite Trust announced Mercy Connect had been appointed to deliver services within the facility.
The project - and budget - has expanded with four two-bedroom assisted living units added to help offset the costs of the respite home.
The can-do communities of Henty and surrounds rose to the occasion, adding $800,000 to the original $1.5 million donation.
"It's a credit to all the members of the board, the local community and groups that have been involved in getting us where we are at the moment," Trust chair Ben Hooper said in January.
Mercy Connect chief executive Trent Dean said it was great to be part of a project the community was so passionate about.
"It's a small town but it has a really huge heart and community sense and spirit of wanting to make something happen," he said.
That something has happened quickly.
The buildings will be at lock-up stage and the keys handed over next month with an official opening set for February, according to Mick.
"We never thought the building would be completed by this time; construction only started at the end of June," he says.
Henty has a history of doing things that haven't been done before.
- Alison Campbell
"Premier Building & Construction from Albury-Wodonga have been fantastic - we can't believe what they've done."
Mercy Connect is expected to start advertising for staff positions shortly and Avondale Place could be opening its doors to clients in early 2023.
Alison and Peter hope it's a case of build it and they will come.
"We could have built a white elephant," Alison laughs.
"It's a big build for a small town.
"Perhaps it's a risky venture - I'm not sure; no other small town with 1000 people has done something like this.
"But Henty has a history of doing things that haven't been done before."
'Journey of wonder'
Alison and Peter, who have sold off some land in the past three years, are uncomfortable with any discussion of their generosity.
Instead, they point to the money raised by the community - "manna from heaven" is how Alison describes it.
Contributions have come from a hefty $500,000 donation from Henty Community Bank, raffles and fundraisers, through to councils waiving fees (Lockhart threw in $10,000) and pro-bono work from RSM Accountants and Commins Hendriks Solicitors.
"The local P&C donated a significant amount of money; Ainslie went to school at Henty Public," Alison says.
The couple have described the experience as a "journey of wonder", moved by the way the community embraced the project.
"It's also opened our eyes to how many carers need a break, even in a small town," Peter says.
The respite facility will accommodate NDIS-funded clients as well as those who fall outside its parameters or can't afford short-term care from (mainly) the Greater Hume, Lockhart and Federation shires.
The units will be occupied on a more long-term basis for those who can live independently but may need some assistance.
There are no NDIS supports in place for Ainslie - it's difficult to get an official diagnosis, let alone a management plan, for chronic fatigue.
A period of relative wellness two years ago was followed by a significant re-lapse, according to her parents.
The most recent "crash" after her birthday on September 3 this year has rendered Ainslie bed-bound, communicating mainly by text and existing in an "online life".
At one stage, "when things were really bad", the Campbells looked into the cost of full-time care for their daughter.
"It worked out at about $1000 a day," Alison reveals.
It's a crippling, impossible cost, leaving loved ones to carry the load as best they can.
Ainslie's partner Rhys Wilcox is part of that circle of support.
"We know of many families doing it tough ... we believe we can do things in our own community to help," Peter says.
It's a rather lovely coincidence the Campbells live across the road from where their vision is being brought to life.
The house that love has built.
- There is still a funding shortfall to finalise furnishings and other ongoing costs associated with the respite facility - go to Avondale Place on Facebook to support this project.
