Ivan Cameron: I Spy Disabled People, MPs Yellow Ribbons And The Public Spectacle
IVAN Cameron has died. David Cameron has lost a son. And the papers cover it in detail. But how can they construct a story out of a single thread tragedy?
Front page of the Daily Mirror (“Our beautiful boy”, “Daily Star (“Beautiful boy”), Daily Mail (“Goodbye our beautiful boy”), “Daily Express (“The Camerons mourn their beautiful boy”).
And then the story works its way out:
Politics:
Harry’s Place (Comments): My deepest sympathy to the Cameron family – My thoughts & prayers are with You at this sad time .
From a member of The Trade Union Movement & Labour Party in Oxfordshire .
Daily Mirror: Kevin Maguire, as a father…
Politically speaking I’m one of David Cameron’s fiercest critics but I’m also a father and he has my deepest condolences over the very sad death of his severely disabled son, Ivan.
Fatherhood
Can only a father understand the loss of a child?
Times: “My child also died from cerebral palsy – The writer’s son Daniel died five years ago from a condition similar to David Cameron’s son. He describes the experience”
The Independent: “Ian Birrell: Iona and Ivan – a tale of two children and two families – The deputy editor of The Independent, whose daughter is profoundly disabled, offers a unique insight into the difficulties facing both his own family and the Camerons”
I awoke to the sound of my daughter, Iona, screaming yesterday morning, shortly after six. First the agonised screams, then coughing and spluttering and the sound of choking. Then silence. Downstairs, Iona was thrashing around in her bed, her limbs flailing, her eyes flickering and rolling in her head. My wife held her tight to stop her banging her arms and legs against the wall, and watched as the waves of violent spasms subsided.
The seconds ticked by as Iona lay there motionless, her heart hammering away, her breathing shallow. Fortunately, it was “only” a five-minute seizure. Her breathing returned to normal quite quickly, so there was no need for oxygen or emergency medication.
Expert opinion
Daily Telegraph: “David Cameron’s son Ivan dies: “A doctor writes – Parents of children with a combination of cerebral palsy and epilepsy have to cope with the daily possibility of losing their child.”
Mawkishness
Times: “Closeness of bond makes death of disabled child even more harrowing”
It is unlikely her London home will offer much of a sanctuary. She converted the Edwardian townhouse into a place where Ivan could receive almost all his treatment and play the fullest possible part in family life. Everywhere there will be reminders.
Adding:
The intense public interest in the couple will not help the grieving process either.
Legacy
Times: Libby Purves: “A lesson for us all in a short life, well lived”
The Times: “Short, hard life of Ivan Cameron, whose suffering could change Britain”
Tygerland (comments): “…nobody deserves that to happen, no matter how dislikeable they may be.”
David Cameron:
Daily Mail: “GEOFFREY LEVY: How the short life of Ivan turned David Cameron from ‘cocky toff’ into passionate leader”
Brian Appleyard: “David Cameron’s relationship to his disabled son, Ivan, was the finest thing about the man.”
Posted: 27th, February 2009 | In: Key Posts, Politicians Comments (37) | TrackBack | Permalink
