You don’t have any of the everyday stresses that arrive later in life, with the mortgage, the emotional and financial hard work of raising a family and the illnesses that go with ageing.

In times long past they’d be called your “salad days”, but whatever the description it’s accepted it is the time when you’re more than likely out there seeing the world and enjoying life.

Lavington’s Nick Dempsey certainly was no different to any other young person on the cusp of pursuing his dreams.

But tragedy struck and, as the wider community now knows, it just happened to also be the night of his 21^st birthday.

Nick did what he and so many others have done countless times and dived into the family’s swimming pool.

His head hit the bottom and he broke his neck, leaving him with C4 quadriplegia.

It is no exaggeration to say that Nick’s commitment both to his rehabilitation and forging a new life for himself has been inspirational.

But his own hard work is not enough.

Rehabilitation is an expensive process at times, especially given that Nick often has to travel interstate to do so, which means anything that can be done to ease the financial burden is extremely welcome for the Dempsey family.

The Dip 4 Dempsey event at Lake Hume came out of that, as has the latest fundraising effort – the building of a four-bedroom house in Thurgoona.

The auction of the house, which was open to the public on Saturday, will take place next month, with money raised going to help Nick.

It has been a sensational effort to reach this stage.

More than 100 people, 7000 hours of volunteer labour and about $220,000 worth of donated materials – that is the generosity of spirit that has gone into the project.

All who have been involved should be heartily congratulated for what they have done for this humble young man who says he “could never have expected something like this from the community”.