‘Man with an enormous heart’ remembered for love, laughter and adventure

Christopher Mark Kidd was a miracle who proved doctors’ predictions wrong, over and over again and those close to him believe this was due to his faith and the many people, including his Sisters of Mercy friends, who prayed for him.

His life was in the balance from the day he was born until his death at the age of 56 but his joy for living always shone through.

Born at Gunnedah Hospital on Friday, October 13, 1967, to Adba and Mel Kidd, he came home to his excited family at 151 Stock Road, including his sisters Ann (4) and Jane (3).

He was a sickly baby and at the age of six weeks he was taken to Sydney to see a heart specialist in Macquarie Street, where it was discovered that Chris had multiple holes in his heart. Doctors had originally hoped they would close over as he grew but that didn’t happen.

Chris was a very sickly, underweight baby and not a good eater and after 12 months he was taken back to the heart doctor in Sydney where an angiogram revealed a narrowing of the pulmonary artery along with three holes in his heart (known as Tetralogy of Fallot).

He was given heart medication, but he still cried day and night and when he was 4 ½ years old he had open heart surgery at Wade House Children’s Hospital in Camperdown. The operation involved closing the holes and placing plastic in the artery to keep it open. He was in hospital for 10 days. After this the youngster was given strict rules about his participation in activities. He was not allowed to climb trees or do rough sport.

Chris started school at St Xavier’s, when he was five years old. He had his sisters there to support him and he enjoyed learning and made many friends.

In 1981 Chris lost his eldest sister Ann, at the tender age of 17. She became ill in 1980 and was diagnosed with Leukemia which had a major effect on the whole family, with his Mum away in Sydney for nine months with Ann, it was especially difficult for Chris, as he was the baby.

Ann’s courageous struggle to survive struck a chord with the whole community as she bravely tried to raise funds for a specialist piece of equipment at the hospital. This fundraising continued for many years after her death with the Ann Kidd Memorial Concert held every year until 2013.

Chris completed his education in Year 10 at St Mary’s College and after leaving school he found a job at the Gunnedah Abattoirs, where he worked for the next 11 years. He continued to keep in contact with friends he made in the workplace.

Chris had a wonderful trip to America accompanied by his second cousin, Ken and kept in contact with friends he made during the trip. He enjoyed travelling and meeting people, especially during a three-week bus trip to Darwin with the family on Keating’s Coaches. He gained his driver’s licence and bought his first car which gave him much more independence and confidence.

When the abattoirs closed in 1996, Chris was without a job and although his health had begun to deteriorate, he started volunteering at the Convent of Mercy, assisting the gardener three days a week and developed a great passion for gardening. During this time in the garden, he had a major heart attack and was airlifted to Tamworth Hospital where he was not expected to live, but Chris had other ideas and proved the doctors wrong (much to their amazement) by surviving. After 15 years he had to stop work due to failing health and the convent closed soon after.

His horizons were further widened after learning to use the computer and improve his skills, enabling him to keep in contact with his many friends here and overseas.

Chris had a wicked sense of humour, which to those who didn’t know him, might be misread but he was able to get away with it with most. He had nicknames for many people and he took enormous pleasure in creating great shock value in his antics. He had an ‘old school’ sense of humour which could leave people shocked, puzzled, amused, bewildered – that was Chris.

Chris’ Catholic faith was very important to him and his daily prayers were a huge comfort.

He loved music and television and had a huge repertoire of favourites. He often reminisced on old songs and TV shows and would not give up until he had copies of them to listen to or watch. He had an extraordinary ability to recall songs and artists and he would generally always have either music or TV on as company.

Family was very important to Chris and his two sets of grandparents, Mary and George Melick and Doris and Stan Kidd, had a big influence in his life. He also liked to keep in contact with cousins, aunts and uncles. His passion for computers and mobiles helped him stay connected with everyone on a regular basis even when he became a resident at McLean Care Mackellar four years before his death.

Chris became even more social over the last 15 years of his life. He loved having visitors and going out to coffee or lunch, enjoying the company of all generations. He had the ability to chat and show interest in all their activities, even when he lived in residential care, where he organised regular adventures to coffee shops, Maccas, the shopping centre, Tamworth and even a holiday to a favourite holiday spot at Lake Macquarie for a five-day getaway with his carer Mark.

Chris had a special relationship with his immediate family including his sister Jane and her children Sophie and Tim. His parents Mel and Adba had devoted a great deal of energy and love into maintaining Chris’ health and happiness. Their devotion and care were admired and commended by those around them who knew that Chris’ ability to overcome many adversities was because of them.

Christopher Mark Kidd lived a life full of love, laughter and many adventures. It was also a life full of struggles and pain but he always kept his head up and took the cards he was dealt in his stride. He was a loving son, brother, uncle, nephew and friend and will always be remembered fondly by those who knew him.

Chris, Chrissy, Chrisso, Christopher (when he was in trouble), Little Buddy, Little Mate, Darling and Moo were some of the nicknames he gathered over the years – one person known to so many by so many different names, was best known as a man with an enormous heart, and that’s where his story begins and ends.

Chris died peacefully at Gunnedah Hospital, on Tuesday, July 30, 2024, surrounded by his family.

The farewell Mass at St Joseph’s Catholic Church, on August 8, was followed by interment at Gunnedah Memorial Park.

The late Christopher Mark Kidd is survived by his parents Mel and Adba, sister Jane Dever, nephew Tim and niece Sophie Dever.