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Matthew Scott Farndale 1970 to 2 January 2021
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1970
Matthew Scott Farndale
was born in 1970, the son of Keith Allan (Allan) Farndale and Heather Dawn (nee
Fenton) Farndale (FAR00976).
His Life
'I want to see people
with Down Syndrome treated as people',
say his parents remembering their son
The table in Heather and
Allan Farndale’s living room is scattered with photos of their son.
They show that Matthew,
who died in early January at 50, lived a full life. He’d attended school, held
down jobs, kept sheep, developed close relationships, won medals and conquered
fears.
“He could drive a car,
ride a horse, you name it,” Heather said.
Matthew conquered his fear of caving during an outdoor education
course.
Horse riding lessons to help develop balance and muscle strength
led to a trip to the Special Olympics,
where Matthew became the first Kiwi athlete to win a silver medal in the
equestrian event. At Riding for the
Disabled, he would pitch in with chores, preferring to volunteer than be seen
as disabled, Heather said.
2021
Sadly Matthew died in
2021. Matthew developed
Alzheimer’s disease. On 2 January 2021, after 10 days in hospital, he slipped
away, his mum by his side.