I ▁would ▁never ▁have ▁achieved ▁what ▁I ▁achieved ▁without ▁Jess ie ". ▁ ▁The ▁Brad mans ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁mod est , ▁sub urban ▁house ▁in ▁Hold en ▁Street , ▁K ens ington ▁Park ▁in ▁Ad ela ide ▁for ▁all ▁but ▁the ▁first ▁three ▁years ▁of ▁their ▁married ▁life . ▁They ▁experienced ▁personal ▁tra ged y ▁in ▁raising ▁their ▁children : ▁their ▁first - born ▁son ▁died ▁as ▁an ▁infant ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 6 , ▁their ▁second ▁son , ▁John ▁( born ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 ) ▁contract ed ▁pol io , ▁and ▁their ▁daughter , ▁Sh ir ley , ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁had ▁c ere br al ▁p als y ▁from ▁birth . ▁His ▁family ▁name ▁proved ▁a ▁bur den ▁for ▁John ▁Brad man ; ▁he ▁leg ally ▁changed ▁his ▁last ▁name ▁to ▁Brad sen ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 2 . ▁Although ▁claims ▁were ▁made ▁that ▁he ▁became ▁est r anged ▁from ▁his ▁father , ▁it ▁was ▁more ▁a ▁matter ▁of ▁" the ▁pair ▁inhab it [ ing ] ▁different ▁world s ", ▁and ▁the ▁two ▁remained ▁in ▁contact ▁through ▁the ▁years . ▁After ▁the ▁cr ick eter ' s ▁death , ▁a ▁collection ▁of ▁personal ▁letters ▁written ▁by ▁Brad man ▁to ▁his ▁close ▁friend ▁R oh an ▁Riv ett ▁between ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁was ▁released ▁and ▁gave ▁research ers ▁new ▁ins ights ▁into ▁Brad man ' s ▁family ▁life , ▁including ▁the