The Twisted Chain

The Twisted Chain by Jason Gurney is a poignant, intensely personal recounting of living under the shadow of a debilitating disease. The narrative begins in the winter of 1969 when a 14-year-old Whangarei schoolboy named Keg returns from a rugby tournament with what seems like an ordinary sore throat. However, his seemingly trivial ailment soon traps him in a harrowing ordeal of a blazing fever, pain in his joints, and, most distressingly, heart damage. He is diagnosed with rheumatic fever, an inflammatory autoimmune disease that profoundly alters the trajectory of his life. The story follows Keg and his family as they navigate the emotional and physical challenges posed by this life-threatening condition.

Rheumatic fever typically arises from an untreated sore throat and is especially dangerous because of its potential to inflict long-term damage on the heart. Despite Aotearoa New Zealand's status as a developed nation, it suffers from one of the highest rates of rheumatic fever globally. Alarmingly, over 90 percent of these cases occur within Māori and Pasifika communities, highlighting deeply ingrained socio-economic and healthcare disparities.

Jason Gurney, the author and son of Keg, offers an intimate and heartfelt account of his father's struggles and the severe impact of rheumatic fever on their family. The book reveals the emotional toll it took on the young Gurney, who often found himself anxiously driving his father to Auckland’s Middlemore Hospital in the dead of night, as well as waiting in fear for medical help. These experiences significantly influenced Gurney's later decision to pursue a career in public health, driven by a desire to understand and combat the disease that had so deeply affected his family.

Gurney’s narrative is not just a memoir but also a critical analysis of the socio-political landscape that permits such a preventable disease to persist in modern-day New Zealand. He delves into the systemic issues and the lack of effective policies that allows rheumatic fever to devastate communities, turning the book into a clarion call for urgent health policy reform.

The Twisted Chain is a compelling read, offering both a deeply personal story and a broader socio-political critique. It accentuates the intertwined destinies of individuals and their communities, reflecting on how a single illness can ripple through lives and institutions. Jason Gurney’s book is an essential read for anyone interested in public health, social justice, or simply a moving human story. As Gurney poignantly reminds us, when someone contracts rheumatic fever, it irrevocably alters not just their life but the lives of everyone who loves them.