June Middleton
Encyclopedia
June Margaret Middleton (4 May 1926 – 30 October 2009) was an Australia
n polio victim who spent more than 60 years living in an iron lung
for treatment of the disease. In 2006, Guinness World Records
recognized Middleton as the person who had spent the longest amount of time living in an iron lung.
Middleton was born on 4 May 1926, the only daughter of parents Robert and Lucy Middleton. She contracted polio when she was 22 years old, just months before her planned wedding
. She entered the iron lung on 5 April 1949, and remained dependent on the machine for the rest of her life. Middleton spent up to twenty-one hours a day on the iron lung to help her breathe. Her husband remained with her for 5 years before remarrying.
Middleton lived at Fairfield Hospital
in Melbourne for more than 40 years. She was next transferred to Austin Hospital before moving to her own home in Thornbury, which was managed by Yooralla
, a disability support provider.
She campaigned for the rights of people confined to ventilators. Middleton was also a fan of the Carlton Football Club
.
On 5 April 2009, Middleton marked her 60th year on the iron lung. She marked the milestone with her friends and her dog, Angel, a golden retriever
-labrador
mix, at her home at the Yooralla's Ventilator Accommodation Support Service (VASS) in Thornbury, Victoria
, a suburb located in the northern parts of Melbourne
.
June Middleton died at her home in Thornbury on 29 October 2009, at the age of 83. Her public funeral was held in Bell City, Preston, Victoria
.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n polio victim who spent more than 60 years living in an iron lung
Iron lung
A negative pressure ventilator is a form of medical ventilator that enables a person to breathe when normal muscle control has been lost or the work of breathing exceeds the person's ability....
for treatment of the disease. In 2006, Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
recognized Middleton as the person who had spent the longest amount of time living in an iron lung.
Middleton was born on 4 May 1926, the only daughter of parents Robert and Lucy Middleton. She contracted polio when she was 22 years old, just months before her planned wedding
Wedding
A wedding is the ceremony in which two people are united in marriage or a similar institution. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes...
. She entered the iron lung on 5 April 1949, and remained dependent on the machine for the rest of her life. Middleton spent up to twenty-one hours a day on the iron lung to help her breathe. Her husband remained with her for 5 years before remarrying.
Middleton lived at Fairfield Hospital
Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital
Fairfield Infectious Diseases Hospital, originally known as Queens Memorial Infectious Diseases Hospital, operated from 1904 to its closure in 1996. Perched high on the banks of the Yarra River at Yarra Bend in the inner Melbourne suburb of Fairfield, it developed an international reputation for...
in Melbourne for more than 40 years. She was next transferred to Austin Hospital before moving to her own home in Thornbury, which was managed by Yooralla
Yooralla
Yooralla is a non-profit disability support and community service provider in Victoria, Australia. Yooralla assists those who live with a disability acquired from birth, accident, ill health or age...
, a disability support provider.
She campaigned for the rights of people confined to ventilators. Middleton was also a fan of the Carlton Football Club
Carlton Football Club
The Carlton Football Club is a professional Australian rules football club based in Melbourne, Victoria. The club competes in the Australian Football League, and was one of the eight founding members of that competition in 1897...
.
On 5 April 2009, Middleton marked her 60th year on the iron lung. She marked the milestone with her friends and her dog, Angel, a golden retriever
Golden Retriever
The Golden Retriever is a medium-sized breed of dog. They were historically developed as gundogs to retrieve shot waterfowl such as ducks and upland game birds during hunting and shooting parties. As such, they were bred to have a soft mouth to retrieve game undamaged and have an instinctive love...
-labrador
Labrador
Labrador is the distinct, northerly region of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It comprises the mainland portion of the province, separated from the island of Newfoundland by the Strait of Belle Isle...
mix, at her home at the Yooralla's Ventilator Accommodation Support Service (VASS) in Thornbury, Victoria
Thornbury, Victoria
Thornbury originalSince the 1960s, the vast majority of Melburnians pronounce the name phonetically. The 'h' is no longer silent, and there is more stress placed upon the 'o'. pronunciation is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 7 km north from Melbourne's central business district....
, a suburb located in the northern parts of Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
June Middleton died at her home in Thornbury on 29 October 2009, at the age of 83. Her public funeral was held in Bell City, Preston, Victoria
Preston, Victoria
Preston is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 9 km north from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Darebin. At the 2006 Census, Preston had a population of 27,892.-Settlement:...
.