Workers save son’s footpath footprint in heartfelt gesture for bereaved Springwood mum

Kind construction workers have helped a bereaved Springwood mum create a garden tribute to her larrikin son by cutting out a piece of concrete footpath bearing his footprint.

Springwood woman Marion Downey with the concrete slab cut out from the footpath so she could keep her dead son’s footprint. Picture: Rimal Bhudia

Kind-hearted construction workers have helped preserve a mother’s memory of her larrikin son by cutting around a slab of footpath concrete bearing his footprint and delivering it to her front garden.

Cheeky 12-year-old Springwood State High School student Michael Downey left his footprint in some wet concrete on Cinderella Dr in 1987, just weeks before he tragically died from electrocution.

While walking past the freshly poured concrete on Cinderella Dr, the Year 8 student playfully imprinted his small foot and initials into the wet surface.

At the time, his mother, Marion Downey, thought little of it, focusing more on reprimanding her son for his mischief.

Springwood State High School student Michael Downey tragically died while at a property at Mount Isa in 1987. Picture: Supplied

But the lighthearted act turned into a cherished memory when, just a few months later, Michael died suddenly after being electrocuted while on holiday in Mt Isa.

Michael had been on a trip to a relative’s cattle station near Mt Isa and just hours before being picked up to go to the airport he walked on the front veranda which was wet and got electrocuted from an airconditioner.

Ever since, his mother has taken solace walking past her son’s immortalised footprint on her daily trip to the nearby shops.

For decades, the concrete slab with Michael’s footprint remained a small but significant landmark on the footpath near the shops and local park.

Plans for Cinderella Dr at Springwood included repaving the footpath where Michael Downey had left his footprint in 1987. Picture: Logan City Council

In March, plans by Logan City Council to resurface the Cinderella Dr footpath left Ms Downey fearing her son’s mischievous memory would be lost forever.

The plans include grading the shared path along Cinderella Dr between Springwood Rd and Dennis Rd, together with intersections on Dennis Rd at Cinderella Dr, Barbaralla Dr and Onak Cres.

Marion Downey with her two sons Paul and Michael Downey. Picture: Supplied

“It had weathered over time, but I think it still held its place on the footpath, and to me, it was a poignant reminder of Michael’s brief but impressive life,” Ms Downey said.

“The recent changes along Cinderella Dr, aimed at upgrading the path to accommodate both pedestrians and cyclists, meant the footpath would be resurfaced and the slab would have to be removed.

“I was concerned it might be discarded or lost, so I contacted my local councillor, Lisa Bradley, who took up the cause and co-ordinated with the contractors to ensure that the slab, which holds so much sentimental value, would be preserved.

“It was such a relief when I walked past one day and saw the piece of concrete had been marked for preservation. I was so worried that it would be lost forever.”

Logan City Council officer Marcel Baum liaised with workers from construction firm BMD Urban, under the leadership of Jason Pearce.

They carefully removed the slab and delivered it to Ms Downey’s Springwood home.

“It was a request that came through to us and we were very happy to help out,” Mr Pearce said.

“To hear Marion’s story and that of her son touched everyone’s hearts and this was the least we could do.

“My crew is made up of very caring people who know she has had unbearable grief which is why we saved this concrete.”

Marion Downey with BHD Urban’s Troy Fenech at Cinderella Dr where her son Michael Downey left his footprint in 1987. Picture: Rimal Bhudia

She plans to create a small garden around it, ensuring that Michael’s memory will continue to be honoured.

Life after her son’s death has had its challenges, but Ms Downey joined the Compassionate Friends, a bereavement support group where she met Vera Caltabiano from Manly West, who lost her 31-year-old son Andrew in a horrific motorbike accident in May 2002.

She also made friends with Lyn Macklin, whose infant son Ben died when he was two in 1977.

Stones the mothers left in remembrance of their three sons, Michael, Ben and Andrew. Picture: Contributed

The women found solace and strength together and embarked on a number of walking trips where they left memento rocks and shells marked with their sons’ names.

Their first walk was in New Zealand, where they left a stone marked with the boys’ names overlooking Akaroa Harbour.

They left further memorial stones when they trekked the Camino Way in Spain and also walked through England, where they tucked memorial rocks into gaps in Hadrian’s Wall.

“We’re not getting any younger, so it can be exhausting at times, but we take our time and do what we can. It’s been the most amazing experience,” Ms Downey said.

“It’s a privilege to have Vera as a friend. We’ve done a lot together, and it’s comforting to know that I can be there for her as much as she is there for me.”