![]() Rather, he toddled about on his hands: an act that no doubt further developed his overgrown deltoids. That wretched little lad, wee Donald, was unable to walk the traditional way until age four, owing to the abnormal growth rate of his arms (which caused his fingers to dangle half a foot beyond his feet). “He had a rather inauspicious start to life, poor boy. In spite of young Donald’s hardships, Bishop Edward Cridge took a shining to the boy, recounting: Sadly, these amenities were not enough to counter his harsh treatment from other children, who saw Donald as an outsider. Donald was given all the amenities a growing child needed. With nowhere for Donald to go, Bishop Edward Cridge welcomed the newborn boy into the Protestant Orphan's Home (now known as the Cridge Center for the Family). Upon learning of his beloved wife’s death and seeing the twisted wretch of his newborn son, Leonard drowned himself in Gonzales Bay, thereby rendering poor Donald Carnarvan an orphan. Nevertheless, she was the only living person to ever speak openly of Donald’s birth and the tragic death of his mother, and for that reason we saw it fit to include her story here.Īrguably more tragic was the fate of the boy’s father, Leonard. She was rumoured to heavily abuse narcotics and had gone, medically speaking, quite insane by the time she gave this testimony. Fitzgerald’s account of the boy’s birth is less than reliable. ![]() ¹ The then reigning ‘Shoulder Wrestler Supreme’ I said it then and I’ll say it again now, REDACTED REDACTED REDACTED.” You’ve seen the cursed portrait, you’ve heard the stories. I see the way you’re looking at me, but you’d say the same if you’d have seen him. I can still see it: the sight of him doing his little pull up as he hung on with his lobster hands the rippling mountain of deltoids ripping through that poor woman’s REDACTED as he shot himself into this world. I can recall gasping at the pair of lobster-like claws gripping the metal bar, followed shortly by a heaving ripple of trapezius that put Hoifey Bovine¹ to shame. And when we tried to grab him with the forceps, he hoisted himself out. ![]() We thought he’d be too big, but he clawed his way out. We quickly realized that the infant was lodged in his mother’s birth canal, requiring the use of forceps to make his way out. 18 and a half bloody pounds, and I reckon at least half of that was in the shoulders! I swear on my maiden name, he was the first child to ever deliver himself. Her account of Donald’s birth is as follows: Margaret’s Asylum for the Criminally Insane, where she remained until her death in 1955). Fitzgerald was eager to divulge this information, it came out during her testimony at her own trial for criminal malpractice (which ultimately led to her commitment in St. In 1946, retired nurse Nelly Fitzgerald described the graphic account of his birth. Though few records of Donald’s parents exist, it has been speculated by historians that Elizabeth’s time working in the radium factory as one of Victoria’s first “radium girls” lead to Donald’s physical deformities in utero. Elizabeth tragically died in childbirth while delivering the abnormally large child. Carnarvan, was born on December 25, 1922. Many say that through his actions, he altered the spirit of Oak Bay forever.Īs follows is a biography based on journal entries and newspaper clippings from his time.ĭonald L.J. Donald never let these deformities hold him back, however, and he went on to live a rich life that left a lasting mark on his community. The official documents surrounding his birth were lost in the blazing inferno that destroyed the old Oak Bay Hospital, but those who knew Donald’s late family claimed he was born horribly disfigured. Not much is known about Donald’s early years, other than what has been gleaned through a series of somewhat dubious accounts. While Oak Bay has existed as a municipality since its incorporation in 1906, it wasn’t until Donald Carnarvan threw his first bowl on the sacred pitch that it officially entered its golden age. Few people have had as much influence on our city’s rich culture as its true founder, and yet many of today’s youth don’t even know his name. ![]() If you care about our community and history, you should be familiar with the legacy of Donald L.J. Know your heritage, Oak Bay Celebrating the Life of Donald Carnarvon: founder of Oak Bay ![]()
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