Telethon 2023: How Perth baby Palmer Job beat the odds for a life on the move

For new parents, life is all about “firsts” — a child’s first breath. Their first words. Their first steps.

But for Amanda Palmer and Les Job, from the first moments of their son Palmer’s life, those firsts were not going to come easily.

Born at 37 weeks, Palmer spent his first days in a coma after Amanda was rushed into the emergency room during a 17-hour labour.

Just days after the birth of their baby boy, Amanda and Les were told there were things he simply would never be able to do.

Just talking and walking would be difficult — impossible even.

“Three days after his birth we were told he had sustained a permanent brain injury due to lack of oxygen,” Amanda told the crowd at Saturday night’s Telethon Ball fundraiser at Crown Towers.

“I went into the unit to touch my baby for the first time and I couldn’t hold him. He was hooked up to monitors and tubes that were keeping him stable.

“(We were told) he has cerebral palsy and may have other problems associated with that. It was devastating news to us and we cried.

“They told us what he probably would never do. He wouldn’t talk. He wouldn’t walk. He would have learning difficulties. He would probably be tube-fed all his life.”

Palmer and his family were special guests at the Crown ballroom on Saturday night, where there was not a dry eye as stars including Rhonda Buchmore, Marcia Hines and Premier Roger Cook, heard how Palmer turned the odds and his life prospects around.

With the assistance of his support worker, Danya, Palmer fought for all of his first moments.

“Palmer’s dreams weren’t totally gone. They were just different,” Amanda said.

“We met Dayna when Palmer was receiving services at The Centre for Cerebral Palsy, which is now Ability WA. She tried him in a walking frame which went amazingly well.”

For Palmer, being able to take those steps has meant discovering his love of moving.

“Even though I am in a wheelchair I like to move and do things everyone else does. I just do it however I can. I live a better life from moving. It helps my pain,” the teenager told Saturday night’s event.

“I was a part of the study that Healthy Strides did that proved everything they do here makes a positive impact on our lives. Ability WA helped to build my tricycle and then I can go riding with my family. I love the beach and can go swimming in my Hippocampe chair from RDA.”

Danya’s support, along with the support of clinicians at Perth Children’s Hospital and the team at Healthy Strides, supported by Telethon, means he can take those steps and do more of what he loves.

“He has had hip surgery. He has had an Intrathecal Baclofen Pump implanted into his body to relax his muscles. He has Botox injections also for relaxing his muscles. He sees the rehab team with physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, specialist nurses and doctors. He sees the pain team to manage chronic pain. He sees Orthopaedics for hips and spine,” Amanda said.

“Spine surgery is coming up. All of these things contribute to his life and how he functions.”

Now there is no holding the 15-year-old back.

“I like so much stuff to do with moving,” he said.

“I like to walk in my walking frame, go cycling on my trike or go swimming at the beach in my Hippocampe chair. I really like playing Nintendo games with my family and friends too. I enjoy being at home in the garden with my dad. I like fun runs. I enjoy working out at the gym with my brother and boxing with my uncle.”

Standing on stage alongside his little brother, William Jobe said while Palmer had faced more challenges than most to enjoy the simple things in life, one thing he did easily was bring smiles and laughs to his family.

“Palmer is always so ecstatic to show our family what he can do in all of these wonderful new machines,” Will said.

“I actually cannot explain how happy and ecstatic he gets when he is given the opportunity to succeed and prove that nothing is impossible. His grit, his determination and his laugh will bring a smile to anyone’s face.”

Looking to Palmer’s future, Amanda said: “We have had so many challenges thrown at us but we just keep on keeping on.”

“As you can see Palmer has managed to overcome some of those things he was told he may not be able to do and more.”

Palmer’s final comments of the evening served to remind the crowd of why Perth supports Telethon so generously each year.

“I am so grateful to all of the beneficiaries for their constant commitment of love and care for all the kids that come through here and their families,” Palmer said.

“Telethon helps so many people to help me.”