Jack Dunn was a happy sixteen-year-old schoolboy from Padbury who was attending the agricultural wing of Morowa District High School because he had visions of being a farmer one day.
As part of his studies he was required to do work experience on a farm. He was with his mate Josh, who was also attending Morowa District High School.
The two young men were working on a farm in Eneabba. They were assisting the farmer with the harvesting of a wheat crop.
For whatever reason, the dry wheat crop caught fire and the situation quickly became extremely dangerous.
Jack and Josh ran to save the new ute parked just inside the paddock. The ute was loaded with fuel for the harvester.
The fire spread very quickly and the two lads could see that they were likely to be engulfed in flames. They jumped from the ute and started to run.
They had only gone a few metres when the ute and the fuel exploded.
Both boys were badly burnt, Jack far more than Josh.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service rushed the boys to Royal Perth Hospital where they were placed under the wonderful care of Dr Fiona Wood and her Burns Research Team.
Josh had burns to almost 30% of his body, recovered well and eventually became head boy at his school.
Jack had third-degree burns to 97% of his body. He remained in a coma for three weeks but amazingly woke to tell his Mum and Dad how much he loved them. He also saw as many of his friends and relatives as he could, before his fight became too much for him
For seven weeks after the horrific tragedy, he was given unbelievable care by the magnificent team at R.P.H. However, the very courageous and tenacious young man passed away, having endured many hours of surgery and skin grafts.
On the day that Jack's pain and suffering ceased, his father Gary was given a small card about the size of a business card which he placed in his pocket to read later on in the day. Just after Jack passed away, Gary sat in the gardens of the cathedral opposite R.P.H. and looked at the card. It read:
"Jack, you are as tenacious as a willy-wagtail!"
Gary looked up with tears in his eyes and noticed that his sole companion was indeed, a willy-wagtail!
Since that sad day, the busy little bird has touched the lives of so many people. Friends who helped Gary, Helen and Robbie to raise funds, had willy wagtails nest in their back yards. On the day of Jack's funeral, those who attended were given a card similar to the one that Gary had read in the cathedral garden. As they left the church they noticed a willy-wagtail had landed on the hearse before it drove off to Pinnaroo Cemetery. During Gary's difficult talk about his brave son, a large wagtail sat on a branch behind him, only to fly off when he had finished. A willy-wagtail has landed on Gary's side mirror as he waited at traffic lights and another has sat on his clothes as he has had a swim at Hillarys, where he always swam with Jack.
Since the Marmion children have become involved in raising funds for burns research, wagtails have built nests near the covered assembly area and one whistled as loudly as it could throughout Dr Wood's speech on the first 'Jack the Wagtail' Day in September, 2005
All involved since the passing of Jack Harrison Dunn gain comfort from these very busy and tenacious little birds. Hence, 'Jack the Wagtail'! What better icon to use for the leadership group formed at Marmion Primary School to help Dr Wood and her Burns Research Team?
Would Jack have lived longer with better knowledge of burns? Who knows? Dr Wood declared at an assembly at MPS, that the knowledge she gained from operating on young Jack has been invaluable for those poor people who have since suffered the trauma of burns.
The local Nyoongar people now call the children of Marmion Primary School, Djiti Djiti Moordt (the Willy Wagtail family).
We will be tenacious in our endeavours to help Dr Wood and her dedicated team with their research into burns.
Thank you - the children of Marmion Primary School
Jack lives on..........
