Jonathan David Edward Hibbert affectionately know as Johno was born at the Birmingham Maternity Hospital, England on Sunday 20.4.1986 and died Wednesday 18th December 2002 in a motor vehicle accident on the Toll Gate Main Road in Clarendon, Jamaica. Johno’s entry into the world was as traumatic as his exit. He was stuck in the birth canal and had to be dragged into the world. Weighing in at 10lbs Johno spent the first three days of his life in an incubator in the special care baby unit. His determination to succeed started from the day he was born. The traumatic birth rendered his left arm paralysed for the first year of his life. Johno’s close bond with his mother was formed then as he held on to her finger as if for dear life a frequent pose adopted in later life.

Johno achieved all his milestones early. So much so that at seven months of age whilst on holiday in Portugal he stood up in his cot and started walking around. Thereafter he rarely sat down. At age two not only could he talk fluently but he could recognise simple words and write

With daily physiotherapy he regained full use of his left arm by 15 months of age. Part of the therapy to get his left arm moving again was regular swimming sessions each week. At two years of age Johno jumped into the swimming pool unaided and started swimming, after a couple strokes he sank but quickly surfaced again spluttering “look at me mummy I can swim.”

Many of his early years were spent in the children’s corner of the local library. He was an avid reader and a good story teller. Johno started school the September before his fourth birthday. His first school report said “He has a tremendous sense of right and wrong, a wonderful singing voice and a warm beautiful smile”.

Johno was originally sent to school in Jamaica in the early 90’s where he boarded with a family and attended St Hughes Prep. He had difficulty settling and returned to England.