Published at 12:05, Wednesday, 20 August 2008

FURNESS PROBUS CLUB: Chairman Roger Low welcomed 40 members and the speaker, Mrs Joan Milburn and her dog, Turner.

The raffle was won by Probians Jim Postlethwaite and Jim Fenton. Apologies were received from 14 members.

Joan was born with sight but after just one year she contRacted meningitis that left her deaf in one ear and blind. There was no history of blindness in the family. She was the second daughter, sister to Irene, and they were well-cared for by loving parents. Her mother wanted to do everything for her, whereas her father insisted on her learning to become independent. This caused a certain amount of friction between dad and daughter at the time, but encouraged by both parents she grew up learning to wash, iron and do many of the other daily chores.

At eight years old she went to Canada with her family and it was while she was there that she learned Braille and how to spell. Returning to England at the age of 13, Joan went to the school for blind pupils in Manchester and from there to Liverpool to learn how to operate a knitting machine.

At the age of 21 she collapsed in the street with a heart attack, was in bed for six months, and not expected to survive.

Following her recovery Joan went to Torquay for further assessment. She met and married Brian Milburn and they moved to Kendal. She refused to use a white stick and thanks her sister Irene for introducing her to the world of guide dogs. Joan trained for her first dog in 1961 and agreed to be a speaker on the subject. Turner is her eighth dog. Dogs are good company and a blind person is able to walk much quicker with them than using a stick. She has a loving family and realises that she could not have brought up her own family without, particularly, her dad’s tremendous support.

Joan believes in normality as far as possible in doing everything that sighted people do, and believes there is no such word as “can’t”.

She added that Frank Castle and her father were instrumental in setting up Ostley House and that she and her sister had raised over £300,000 for Guide Dogs for the Blind.

A warm and sincere vote of thanks was given by Probian Bill Quirk for a most interesting insight into her life and for her determination to be independent.

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