Triumph over adversity
Michael Brennan goes the extra mile in his caretaker role at Tauhara College and in everyday life. Photo: Dan Hutchinson
Michael Brennan is dealing with a fair bit of adversity in his life at the moment but he continues to share his life and time with others.
By Dan Hutchinson
During the day, Michael is the caretaker at Tauhara College and one of those who nominated him for the Harcourts Taupō Good Sort, Kirsty Trevor, says he’s always professional and willing to help anyone “at the drop of a hat”.
He participates in the Cactus programme – run by Police through the high schools - getting up early before school with all the other particpants to lend a hand and to help young people be the best versions of themselves.
He gives a lot of his time to the Taupō Salvation Army as the Corps Sergeant Major and is also president of the Taupō and Rotorua MS Society. Last year he walked a marathon and raised $3000 for the society.
If anyone needs a boost from the community right now, it’s Michael, with his wife Susan passing away suddenly on July 2 this year. They had been together 40 years and married for 38.
She had been living with MS since 2009.
“I was bringing her back from Rotorua Hospital and she just collapsed in the car and had a heart attack in the car, and I did CPR and everything I could, but it was her time to go, so yeah, and with my faith in the Salvation Army I just know where she is.
“She's in Heaven and she's not suffering any more with MS or pain or anything like that, so you've just got to look for the positive and silver linings and things.”
Michael was nominated by two people, including Holly Heep, who had this to say about him.
“He is the most helpful human to all of us without a murmur and always a smile. We couldn't survive without him, and he needs to know how much we appreciate and value him.”
Michael says he helps where he can and when it’s appropriate to reach out to young people who are struggling.
“I think it's important to give youth the opportunity to make a better version of themselves, which is what Cactus does.
“Every young person, underneath what's going on in their life, can improve, but you've got to give them that opportunity and you've got to support them and encourage.”
Michael will be keeping himself as busy as usual over the next few months as he comes to terms with his new life.
That is hampered somewhat by the loss of his double garage and all his tools in a fire at the end of May.
“I put some ash outside, and I thought that it was out, and it blew into the garage and burned it down.”
He was insured but he can’t replace any of his tools until the new garage is built and he is still going through the process.
“People in the community would say, oh, I need to borrow something, or can I help the Salvation Army? I could say ‘yeah, borrow this sander, borrow this or that stuff’, but of course now I can't do that until I get my insurance.”
Michael says whatever school he has worked in as a caretaker, he has always tried to make it the best, most well-kept school in the area.
“And it's about making it the best, so that the students have the best that they can have in their school and looking after the staff too.”
And there is a fair bit going on at Tauhara College with a new administration and technology block being built and then new permanent classrooms going in behind that, to replace the temporary ones.
Michael says the school community has been very supportive of him through his difficult year, as has the Salvation Army and family and friends.
Getting awarded the Taupō Good Sort was extra special because Susan would have been happy.
“She’d see the paper and she'd see that people are getting nominated, and say “you should get that, all you do in the community’.
“I said, well, that's lovely, but I said, ‘you know, there are other people that do more than what I do, and they deserve to be nominated, so yeah, so that's all good’.”