"Many people look at me and think poor old John, but it's not like that at all. People need people. There are many people in this world who aren't loved by anyone or anything. I'm very lucky"
Supporter news
John Prestwich RIP
March 2006
We received some tragic news this week about John Prestwich who featured on the front cover of the last issue of Touching Lives, the charity's magazine.
Sadly, John who had been in hospital since January 12th passed away on February 27th.
Iron lung
John in his Iron Lung, Royal Free Hospital London 1959
For 50 years he was completely paralysed below his chin and entirely dependent 24 hours of the day on artificial ventilation to keep him alive.
He originally contracted bulbar polio during the week of his 17th birthday in 1955.
Maggie
Requiring 24 hour a day care, for the first 16 years John was permanently in hospital, but in 1971 he married Maggie and settled in a small village in Hertfordshire.
Daily Mirror. Wednesday 14th June 1961
Despite his disability he led a full and busy life regularly attending his favourite sport, polo, communicating with people all over the world by phone, fax and on the internet and even getting to the top of the Eiffel Tower in 1961.
Man of the year
In 1991 he was recognised as a 'Man of the Year'. In 1994 he was awarded the MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list.
John in iron lung at Royal Free Hospital, 1961, with Maggie who was his occupational therapist
John and Maggie contacted us following our BBC Lifeline programme last year, and were extremely enthusiastic about our work and always keen to help.
John also featured in our winter appeal letter, which turned out to be our most successful Touching Lives appeal for two years - testament to John's inspirational story.
Polio dramatically changed John's life, but he always put his own disability in perspective
Flowers have been sent to Maggie, and Simon Moore our Chief Executive has also written to express our sadness at the news.
