As the freshly laid footpath along Cinderella Drive, Springwood dried in 1987, 12-year-old Michael Downey stamped his footprint and initials into the wet concrete.
Michael died suddenly later that year.
For his mother, Marion, the markings Michael left on the street where he grew up became a daily reminder of her son and how cheeky he was.
But 37 years later the footpath was due for a revamp, and Michael’s imprint, now partially eroded, was set to be demolished.
With the help of a Logan City Council officer and the road’s construction workers, Michael’s section of concrete has been preserved and is now in his mother’s possession.
“When the original path was being laid, one day I was walking to the shops and I saw ‘MD’ in the concrete,” Ms Downey said.
“I knew that was my son, and he was actually grounded for a week for doing it.”
She said the markings didn’t mean much to her after that, but she “wasn’t to know that later that year in October, he wouldn’t be with us”.
“So that piece of concrete means so much to me, because every time I walk past it on the way to Woolies or Coles, I think of him,” she said.
“To anyone else it’s just a piece of concrete with a bit of writing on it, but to me it’s my son.”
In October 1987, Michael went to stay with his relatives at their cattle farm near Mount Isa.
On the last day of the trip, 10 October, one hour before Michael was due to be picked up from the airport, Ms Downey received a phone call saying her son had died.
“He had been electrocuted on the station’s air-conditioning,” she said.
“My sister-in-law had watered the plants, and the concrete was wet, and [Michael] went out to get something and brushed past the air-conditioner and died.”
Ms Downey said his death left a hole in her heart and hurt the entire family.
“It hurt so much my eyelashes hurt, even though we know you can’t feel pain in them,” she said.
“It was hard, we all went into our own little shells for a while.”
When construction started on upgrades to the footpath earlier this year, Ms Downey was concerned she would lose Michael’s patch of concrete.
She called council, who then got in touch with the contractors who preserved the piece.
Ms Downey said, when the contractors dropped off the piece of concrete, they told her: “We’ll still be here for a few more weeks, so if you decide what to do with it, let me know and I’ll send two men up to move it for you.”
The council worker who helped organise the preservation of the concrete, Marcel Baum, said it was “deeply gratifying” to help Ms Downey.
“Our contractor, BMD, felt likewise,” Mr Baum said.
“We were all truly heartened to help Marion secure such an important keepsake, while providing an upgraded shared path for the community.”
Ms Downey said she wanted the community to know how kind everyone had been to her, and that there is always help when you need it.
“How can you put it into words – I couldn’t thank them enough,” she said.
“That stone is so, so special to me.”
Ms Downey said she was hoping to turn the concrete slab into a garden memorial for Michael.
