"Arthritis - What it's like to have your life ruined."

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"Arthritis - What it's like to have your life ruined."

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Description: These images were taken for the July 2nd, 1978 edition of the Tribune weekly newspaper – the first of which was published. They depict Berry Engineering sheet-metal worker John Eaton discussing his life altering diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis. The 1978 Telethon raised money for Arthritis and Rheumatism Foundation.

The caption read: "John used to be a sheetmetal worker, but now his puffy hands can barely hold even an an [sic] electric drill"

Sample paragraphs from the article:
“Much has been said about the objects of this weekend’s Telethon, but Palmerston North's John Eaton knows from personal experience what it is all about. Twelve years ago the young man felt the first signs of the disease that was to lead to him literally dragging himself off to work, every Joint in his body affected by rheumatoid arthritis. There were times a few yean ago when he couldn't even bend over to do up his shoelaces and couldn't lift his leg on to a chair to tie them that way either. And other times when he sat and watched television all night “Not because I wanted to, but because I couldn’t get up out of the chair.”

“He's also thankful that he can still work 40 hours a week, even if it is lighter work than he used to do. There are other people in Palmerston North and other parts of New Zealand who can only work part-time, if at all he said. "And I'm fortunate that I contracted it while I was working here, because they’ve seen it develop and looked after me," he said, referring to Mauri Engineering. "I’ve got a lot to be thankful for."

“He says Palmerston North rheumatoid arthritis sufferers are especially fortunate in having the skills of Dr R Wigley. a specialist at the city’s hospital who is one of the country’s leading researchers into the disease. And they are doubly fortunate. John says, in having the orthopaedic services of Peter Grayson at the hospital. This means bone work can be undertaken without people having to travel to other towns for operations. But the person who's helped him the most is his wife Pat, John says. "I’m fortunate to have a good wife who's stuck by me And I rely a lot on the kids (aged 11 and 13) to do a lot of things for me."

These images form part of the Manawatū Evening Standard Negative Collection. Unfortunately, only negatives between April and December 1978 are held.