About Jonathan Wilson-Fuller

Jonathan Wilson-Fuller leads a very unusual life. He is highly intellectually gifted and at the same time suffers from wide-ranging physical disabilities including a severe intolerance to minute levels of ingested and inhaled chemicals - a level of intolerance seldom found anywhere in the world.

Jonathan is confined to two atmosphere-controlled rooms in the family home and, despite living in constant pain with physical problems which render him immobile most of the time, has a wonderful optimism and love of life.
 

 
Jonathan at his window.

Although he has been unable to venture outside the house since January 1990 (when he was 10 years old), his mind is free to wander and his imagination free to roam. He is a published poet and writer, and at the age of 14 years began university studies by correspondence in maths, science and philosophy.

He loves conversing and sharing with people and although his situation places practical limitations on personal interaction he has not been daunted by this problem.  He regularly meets people through his window and to facilitate this interaction the Starlight Foundation have installed a microphone and his Uncle George has recently built a deck to replace the step ladder!
 

Many people from all walks of life and of all ages have shared conversation with Jonathan through the window
  
Two of the more famous visitors who have used the step ladder and conversed with Jonathan through his window:
(i)  Canadian environmentalist Dr David Suzuki  and (ii)  Former Australian test cricketer Mike Whitney.
 

This method of Jonathan meeting with people through the window is the most common used because it requires no personal preparation on the part of the visitor and hence makes contact with Jonathan more accessible.  However, this is not the only way Jonathan interacts with people.  If people are willing to take the time to thoroughly prepare themselves so as not to bring any chemicals into Jonathan's environment he (while wearing his respirator) can meet with them in the lounge room (which is supplied with purified air).
 
 

Early 1996.  David Suzuki and Jonathan discuss fossils and rocks in the lounge room.
Prior to mid 1996 Jonathan wore his  Racal respirator when meeting people in the lounge room.  In the above photograph the yellow box of the inlet to the Racal personal air purifier can be seen firmly packed against the outlet of a Micro Air purifier machine.  This configuration for personal air purification (so called dedicated breathing air) was used to minimise the bypass of chemicals past the small activated carbon filter of the Racal.  The air is delivered from the purifier to the face mask via a hose under the chin.  This personal air purification was in addition to the purification of ambient air in the room.
 
Mid 1997.  Mike Whitney and Jonathan discussing cricket.
From mid 1996 Jonathan wore a new hood when meeting visitors in the lounge room.  This hood is supplied with ultra pure breathing air via a hose fitted at the back of the hood, the hood is at positive pressure.  The air is purified by a compressed air system especially designed and built for Jonathan by SMC with the help of MSA, Atlas Copco and Cummins of Lansvale.
 

 
Jonathan's family and very close friends live their lives so as to be able to enter Jonathan's own room without the need for Jonathan to wear his respirator.   In this case the ultra pure dedicated breathing air is supplied to Jonathan via a hose above his head.  He then needs to stay in the air flow from this hose.  Also the level of ambient air purification is very high in Jonathan's own room.
 

Jonathan relaxing, watching TV with his Mum and Dad.
Note the hose supplying ultra pure air is above his head.
 
 
 
 

Dr David Suzuki, the world renowned environmentalist, refers to Jonathan as "my hero", and Lord Yehudi Menuhin, the distinguished violinist, calls him "the conscience of mankind".   Mike Whitney after his recent visit said, "meeting Jonathan has changed my life.  His courage and inner strength touched me in a way that very few other people have ever done."  Jonathan has captured the hearts and minds of countless people here and overseas with his enormous courage, unfailing humour and indomitable spirit.
 

Dubbed by the media "The Bubble Boy", a name he dislikes intensely, Jonathan shows us all what the human spirit is capable of by continuing to achieve and contributing to society despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles. For more information about Jonathan, see the FAQ.
 

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