No Letter for Jean but it’s Still a Royal Occasion at Mercy Place Wyndham

For a brief moment, Mercy Place Wyndham resident Jean Thornton’s family thought she might become one of the first Australians to receive a letter from King Charles III to commemorate her 100^th birthday.

Jean, the widow of Geoffrey Phillip Thornton, and mother to Geoffrey Stephen and Pam, was born in Footscray on 21 November 1922.

According to Pam, Jean is “Footscray through and through.”

“I think having her son, Geoffrey, who was born with cerebral palsy, living with her at Mercy Place Wyndham has been a key to keeping mum going year after year,” says Pam.

“She has received wonderful care, including exceptional, nutritious food from Mercy Place staff over the past 11 years at both aged care homes at Newport and Wyndham. Despite having health challenges, it’s the compassion and care which have been so important for mum.

“She’s now lost her hearing, but she is a very good lip reader,” says Pam.

“She has undergone two lots of hip surgery, so mobility has become a challenge as well.”

According to Pam, her mother’s greatest achievement and devotion in life has been to her son.

“Geoffrey had issues with his legs, with one shorter than the other, which led to surgeries and constant follow-up care,” Pam says.

“Mum organised all his medical requirements and has been his carer throughout his life.

“I was a little forgotten,” Pam laughs. “But from a very early age I understood Geoffrey’s special needs and I knew mum was doing what was needed to look after my brother.

Geoffrey worked for the disability service Yooralla for many years. When he retired, he was home more, which put additional pressure on Jean as she was ageing.

“She stayed with him for as long as she could but eventually they both needed 24-hour care and it is wonderful that they are still together in the same aged care home,” Pam says.

The Thorntons were not overly concerned about birthday fanfare.

“We looked at the possibility of a letter from Buckingham Palace but realised we’d left things a little too late,” Pam says.

“She won’t worry — mum calls a spade a spade and she is just as likely to ask why she would want a letter from the King anyway — that’s her personality.”

Instead, the Mercy Place Wyndham Lifestyle team, led by Anjali Modi, organised a cake, decorations and balloons to help celebrate Jean’s milestone.

“Anjali and the team have been wonderful to mum and Geoffrey, and as a small family, we are thrilled that her life could be celebrated with such a lovely occasion,” says Pam.

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