A Dr much loved and missed

by Jess Griffith
(Australia)

I met Dr John in 1990 or so - I had been a teen mother myself and started a volunteer outreach centre for others like I'd been, when I was 20.

I heard about Dr John in the papers at first and was amazed at his guts and dedication - I knew I had to meet him. So, I contacted the paper & left my number and he called!

I'd inherited a small amount of money and used it to set up a small volunteer outreach centre and the back room had a bathroom and another room and wasn't being used. I spent a lot of time with John, learning from him and in the end was more than happy (actually I felt privileged)to let him use the back room free to consult and see his clients.

I went off to study as a childbirth educator, established programs and recruited volunteers for the centre while he practiced from the back room. He also allowed me to come and assist at so many births, which was magical and where I learned very fast- sometimes I was the first there (by an hour!) but he always made it on time to deliver the baby or let the mother do so, and sometimes they let me do so.

I enrolled (without credit) in anatomy at Melbourne Medical School, to supplement what I learned from my childbirth ed training, and John always supported my efforts. Eventually, it was time for my second child to come along. Who should be my ob/gyn...hmmm? Not a hard choice.

John was wonderful, and I gave birth to my daughter Roxanne (now 16) with his help. Her brother cut the cord. It was so relaxed that I walked to the milk bar a 1/2 hour before delivering to get milk...when is the baby due they asked "probably in an hour or so I said" and wobbled home, my waters having already broken.

John was to deliver my second daughter also, but she was a precipitate labour and he didn't arrive in time. It didn't matter - he was always careful to ensure you were healthy, that bub was ok before the birth and that you had a back-up hospital so when she came so fast I wasn't worried. Plus, I knew how to deliver her myself. I can only say that, despite all the controversy, what John was to me was a spirit waaay ahead of his time and as Einstein always said "Great minds face violent opposition from the mediocre".

I wish all the VERY best to his much loved family whom he always spoke of with such love. Thank-you 'Dr John'- you are missed very much.

Jess