Story-Telling Exercise

John Madden: Surveyor of Life

When John Donal Madden, my grandfather, was diagnosed with Motor neurone disease in mid 2010, all I could think was that it was such a cruel twist of fate for a man who had so much life in him.

Motor neurone disease is a neurological disorder that affects motor neurons. Motor neurons are the cells that control most muscle activity such as walking, talking, eating and breathing. Motor neurone disease is of a progressive nature; eventually the sufferer is rendered disabled and will die. The particularly brutal part of the disease is that the sufferer’s mind is fully aware and able, only their body won’t respond.

I think this was the worst part of the disease for Pa, and everyone around him. Pa was an extremely intelligent man, always inventing new objects and ways to complete tasks. He was also very active for a man of his age; before being diagnosed with Motor neurone, he was 73 and still ran a farm on the Sunshine Coast with my Nana, Maureen. Nana and Pa grew a variety of fruits and flowers and their ten-acre property. They also kept bees and chickens for the honey and eggs that they produced. Every second Saturday they would get up at 2a.m., pack their truck and head down to New Farm Markets in Brisbane to sell their fruit, honey and flowers. I was their sales assistant for nearly two years, until school and my other job got too demanding. My younger brother Jake took over upon my departure, and he loved it as much as I did, despite the extremely early starts.

Nana and Pa’s story started way back in 1955. Pa was 19 years old, and Nana was 15. Nana tells everyone of the way that Pa used to drop by the pharmacy where she worked to leave her little gifts. One day Nana was sick and couldn’t make it to work. She was very surprised when Pa arrived on her doorstep with flowers and a ‘Get Well’ card; the older ladies at the pharmacy had told Pa all about Nana’s illness. The pair continued to see each other, and on Nana’s 16^th birthday, Pa presented her with a silver friendship ring. Delicate flowers were engraved all around the band, and on the inside was ‘Maureen, love John’. That ring is now mine; Nana bequeathed it to me on my 16^th birthday.

Pa also served in the Navy from ages 20 to 25 as a surveyor. Surveying is the science of determining the three dimensional distances and angles between points of land. Surveying is used to create land maps and boundaries. It was something that Pa loved, and continued to do right up until being diagnosed. He used to create maps of the blocks of land his children lived on, just to make sure the other maps were correct.

John and Maureen became Mr and Mrs Madden in 1961. In October 1962 they welcomed their first child, Bernard, my father. In September 1963, Michelle was born. In January 1965, they had Susan. And in April 1973, they had their youngest child Allison. The family lived very happily in Vermont, Victoria.

Being a staunch Labor supporter, politics was also something Pa was very interested in. In 1979, he was elected the Mayor of Nunawading, a suburb in East Melbourne. What followed his election was near constant media spotlight, from which my teenage father was conveniently absent most of the time. Pa served as Mayor for only a short time, until 1980.

Nana and Pa’s children all began to grow up. Bernard met Joanne, my mother, and the two married in 1989. I was born in 1994, and my brother Jake in 1996. Michelle met David Munro, they were married in 1990 but had welcomed twin girls Tahnee and Ashleigh in 1986. Their son Benjamin was born in 1991. Susan actually came out as gay in her late teenage years, and met current partner Michelle in the early 1990’s.  Little Allison married her husband Robert in 1997. The pair had two children, Cassidy, born in 2000, and Keely, born in 2002.

Starting with Nana and Pa, then my parents, the whole Madden clan relocated to the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. Nana and Pa started the farm, and Pa really got to hone his agricultural skills. The family remained close, regularly getting together for special occasions.

Fast forward to 2010. Pa felt his left hand going slightly numb. He didn’t think anything of it until a few weeks later, when the numbness began spreading. As a typical man, he put off going to the doctors until Nana forced him. The doctor’s results were that Pa had either had a small stroke, or it could be the beginning of Motor neurone. The latter was confirmed when the numbness spread up Pa’s whole arm, rendering it useless. Then the other arm started, then his legs. Eventually Pa could no longer get around without Nana, and a wheelchair. They had to stop going to the markets, and eventually had to sell their farm and move into a retirement resort. The next thing to go was Pa’s voice, and his bladder control. Nana could no longer take care of him by herself, so in early 2011 he was moved to an aged care facility in Caloundra.

The whole family went to visit him regularly. Nana sat with Pa all day and most of the night, and would do it all again the next day. However it was clear his condition was worsening. The last time I was Pa was on April 20^th, 2011. He couldn’t move or speak. It was truly heart wrenching for me. This horrible disease had struck down such a smart, capable man.

John Madden died the night of April 20^th, 2011. His wife, all his daughters, and two of his granddaughters surrounded him.  John Madden died an incredible man who had experienced a wealth of life experiences.

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