We should all be praying for David Cameron's son Ivan, who died in the early hours of Wednesday morning, as well as remembering his family. It is the fear of every parent to lose a child at such a young age, especially after such a difficult and short (though no less special) life.
One of my little brother's classmates at his SEN school has a similar epileptic condition to Ivan's, and it has been a great blessing to my family to have a group of people with whom to discuss the difficulties of raising a child with severe disabilities.
Both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition have now suffered the deep pain of child bereavement (let's not forget Gordon Brown's daughter died at just 10 days old in 2001 after being born prematurely, and his eldest son has Cystic Fibrosis). It is left to be seen how this will translate into social policy, particularly regarding facilities for Special Educational Needs.
I have watched both my parents fight for the direct payments and government help we are entitled to with varying levels of success. I have seen them fight for the right to send my brother to the closest SEN school to us and I have seen them give up their careers to look after him. As I begin to pave my own life and career, I am fully aware of the responsibility I will eventually bear for my brother when my parents are no longer able to care for him
It is my prayer that Brown and Cameron will enact legislation so I won't need to fight for his right to care and support as hard as my parents have had to.
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