Vale Jayne Leatham ~ 11 February 2009

Jayne Leatham was an individual who, though she was not often able to involve herself directly in the Alliance's efforts, always supported from afar and with enormous passion and commitment.

Jayne knew first hand what is was to live with a degenerative neurological disease and experienced the many and varied frustrations the disability service system delivers to young Australians with high and complex support needs.  Despite the trials and tribulations she endured, Jayne never complained.  She always had a smile and was concerned about the situations of others, especially those who didn't have the love and support of family around them as she did.

Her determination to live her life to the max and not let her health or disability interfere meant that Jayne often forced the service system to adapt to her needs, rather than the other way around, as is often unfortunately the case.  In the last year of her life, Jayne lived in an intensive care unit for nearly 12 months.  She was determined to come home to be with her beloved sons again and because of her refusal to countenance anything else, managed to facilitate an all too rare partnership between a service provider and an acute care service to develop the in home support she needed.  The result was a new protocol and service collaboration for in home support for individuals living with tracheostomies and complex support needs.

Jayne achieved her dream and came home for a short time before returning to hospital once again.  Like everything she did, Jayne would not have regretted that she didn't live to use this new service herself.  Instead, she would simply have been pleased that others would benefit from her efforts and her example.  Jayne's family are now working to ensure that the protocol Jayne facilitated will be developed and extended to other young Australians needing this type of in home support.

Jayne's kindness and concern will be greatly missed.  She was ‘the wind beneath the wings' of those she came into contact with and the Alliance extends its deepest sympathies to Jayne's sons, Dan and Marc, and her family at this very sad time.

Vale Jayne Leatham ~ 11 February 2009
Jayne Leatham was an individual who, though she was not often able to involve herself directly in the Alliance’s efforts, always supported from afar and with enormous passion and commitment.

Jayne knew first hand what is was to live with a degenerative neurological disease and experienced the many and varied frustrations the disability service system delivers to young Australians with high and complex support needs.  Despite the trials and tribulations she endured, Jayne never complained.  She always had a smile and was concerned about the situations of others, especially those who didn’t have the love and support of family around them as she did...read more