Two legends
On Wednesday Jack finished grade six, and said goodbye to Westgarth Primary, to his friends and teachers, and to Meg and Dallas, two of the best people I've met.
The first time I heard Dallas Johnson’s name it was like an AFL draft whisper, nestled in the comments section on facebook. ‘I think Westgarth might have poached Dallas Johnson from us to be aide to Jack’ wrote Anthony Atkinson, my Merri Primary teacher insider. ‘If true, this is the best news you’re going to get all year. Dallas is a LEGEND.’
It was true, and we’d quickly discover why Atko had chosen capitals. From the very first day, Dallas gave extra and did more. For starters, his first day was actually two months before the first day. Dallas came over twice in the summer holidays to get to know Jack and the rest of the family - to have the introductions out of the way before the sensory onslaught of first day, prep, 2017.
I’ve got a video of Dallas pushing Jack on his three wheeler that first day, and Dallas is chatting, amiable as always, reassuring Jack and us that it was all going to work out.
And work out it did. Just as he accompanied his previous student at Merri on the full seven-year journey, he made a similar whole-of-primary-school commitment to Jack. It’s difficult to overstate how close the relationship became, and in a short time. With Jack’s level of cerebral palsy (GMFCS Level 4) he needs someone to push his chair, help with eating and drinking, with personal care, with putting work on paper or iPad, with blowing his nose, with holding the pen, texta or paintbrush, with putting on or taking off a jumper, with understanding academic tasks, with participating in sport or PE or play.
An aide is with Jack, all the time, and it’s underpaid, demanding work. The best aides show patience, initiative, compassion, affection, and eventually, when you’ve had seven years side by side, something close to love. It was a hard day on Wednesday when Jack and Dallas were saying goodbye.
Jack’s had other aides too — Reece, Steph, Finney and Ella, all excellent — but the other life changer has been Megan Kossatz, or ‘Megalicious’ as Jack and Dallas call her, who is an endless source of jokes and nicknames and enthusiasm and ingenuity when it comes to getting Jack participating and learning. I’ll never forget her setting up ‘Paddington’s shop’ to get Jack interested in a dreaded counting activity, and even on their last day together, she had Jack out of his chair and on the floor, buried up to his neck in cushions, and they sent us a video saying Jack was planning to hide from us at pick up.
Meg has had Jack over to watch Essendon v Hawthorn games with her and her Bombers supporting, high school aged son, Gus, and prepared a platter with all of Jack’s favourites — strawberries, jelly snakes, mini marshmallows, snags. She’s taken him out for a pizza dinner on a weekend night, because she knows how infrequently Jack gets asked out, without us.
She took him to the ‘Taylor Swift — Eras’ movie at Westgarth cinema, which plunged Jack into the Swifty fold, and has meant we’ve seen the concert film three times and rented the exorbitantly priced download twice already from the Apple Store. And perhaps most memorably, she’s been manager of the Two Man Play Doh Band, making T-shirts and hats and performing roadie duties during the concerts, holding the microphone close for Jack. (You can watch the band performing here)
Dallas has also given so much time out of school hours. We’ve had end of year movie nights in the back yard at Dallas’s, trips to the local footy to watch his beloved West Preston Roosters, and most excitingly this year, the inauguration of the J & D Cup (Jack and Dallas Cup), which involves passionate Saints fan Dallas taking Hawks junior mascot Jack to Hawthorn versus St Kilda games, with the winner holding J & D honours. Dallas says he’s committed long term to the J & D Cup — that this lovely tradition will continue on in 2024 and beyond.
During COVID, Dallas and Meg did so many extra sessions with Jack. Often they’d get on Webex and watch AFL matches with him, and they truly were lifesavers as Tam and I struggled with a minimal roster of support workers, and four children at home, and remote learning that felt a little bit like home schooling. When it came time for vaccinations, Jack was terrified, and not wanting to get into the car to go the clinic. So Dallas got in the car with us, and held his hand the whole way. It was lovely. Dallas and Meg have talked Jack down from an emotional cliff on many occasions. Their numbers are nestled in our Favourites for difficult times at home, or in the car.
Jack did cry on the last day though. We all did. Meg sent us a beautiful text after her last session: ‘Some of the best times of my life. Jack you are amazing. Call me sometime. Meg xx’ We gave Dallas a mega bag of St Kilda stuff, including a signed jumper from the entire playing list. It was organised by former Saints CEO Matt Finnis and his wife, D’Arne, who themselves have a child with a disability and know a bit about great support workers. Jack’s Grandpa Ray somehow rustled up a message for Dallas from Nick Riewoldt, because Grandpa Ray knows how to do such things. There were hugs all around. Jack hadn’t wanted to go to school on Wednesday. He wasn’t ready for this goodbye.
We’ve assured him that it won’t be goodbye, that with a sister still at primary school we’ll be there regularly enough, and that Meg and Dallas both live locally. But things will shift. It is the end of an era. Jack has enjoyed Westgarth, he’s been a trailblazer there in many respects, and the school has done its best to improve and accommodate. But our great fortune has been the aides, and in particular, Meg and Dallas.
You are both LEGENDS.
You both get the capitals.
Thanks so much.
I’ll include some bonus photos of Jack, Dallas and Meg through the years for paid subscribers below:
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