David Alexander Barnes-Brown, 19, of Needham, died on Sunday January 4, 2009 at home with his loving family after a long, brave battle against Duchenne muscular dystrophy, when his heart finally grew just too tired.
David and his twin sister Julia Elizabeth were born February 5, 1989 in Boston after only 25 weeks gestation, weighing only 1 pound 12 ounces. David survived a systemic infection and was able to go home after four months in three different hospitals. He was the first male twin with that low a birth weight to survive. The doctors who later treated his muscular dystrophy believed that the extreme prematurity likely was the cause of an accelerated course of the condition.
David was the dear beloved son of Peter N. and Susan L. Barnes-Brown, an adoring and adored brother and best friend to his twin sister Julia, a loving and loved brother to his older sister Diana Morgan of Brooklyn NY, and the cherished grandson of Diana Coogan Barnes of Lawrence, the late Richard I. Barnes of Middleboro, the late Julia M. Brown of Atlanta GA, and the late Rufus Enoch Brown of Rutland, VT, who would have cherished him had he known him. He is also survived by 12 aunts and uncles and 11 cousins.
David met every challenge from his extremely premature birth to the endless and inexorable losses exacted by muscular dystrophy with the same indomitable spirit, each time grieving his loss and then regrouping to use whatever resources he could summon to live his life as fully as possible. David was compassionate, kind and stubborn; he was a lover and a dreamer; and but for the muscular dystrophy that gradually imprisoned his body, he would have soared and would have significantly affected the world beyond his home. He was homeschooled from birth; sang opera in his crib with Pavarotti at age 2; walked out the front door to explore the world by himself at age 3; was fully reading by age 4; and followed his passion about birds of prey and later about reptiles and amphibians to an encyclopedic knowledge of those subjects that let him match wits with experts. For the past four years he had turned his passion to the cinema, again developing an encyclopedic knowledge of film and the art of making movies. He fully intended to make a career in film, and at the time of his sudden death, he had written movie concept proposals that envisioned the casting of many of Hollywood’s A list and cinematic and musical direction by the best in the profession, whom he was making plans to meet and persuade to make his movies. He also loved music, reading, food, working on his computer, and sharing Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh and Nintendo games with Julia.
David is deeply loved and deeply missed. We weren’t even nearly ready for him to go.
Visiting hours will be in the Eaton Funeral Home, 1351 Highland Ave., Needham on Sunday, January 12, from 1-3 PM. Relatives and friends are kindly invited. Services and interment are private. In lieu of flowers, please honor David with donations to the Muscular Dystrophy Association for the David A. Barnes-Brown Memorial Fund, sent to 3300 East Sunrise Drive, Tucson, AZ 85718 to the attention of Donor Services. For directions, obituary or to send a note of condolence www.eatonfuneralhomes.com