A mum from Warwickshire has penned a heartbreaking open letter too her local MP regarding the ‘offensive’ actions of Dominic Cummings, Chief Special Advisor to Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
The politician has come under scrutiny over the past few weeks for breaking UK lockdown protocols, despite being one of the forces who put them into place.
And now heartbroken mum Louise Bennett, whose 14-year-old son Fred passed away while receiving cancer treatment in hospital, has spoken out about how ‘offensive’ the government workers actions have been to her and to everyone in the country.
'Fred was an in patient in hospital from February at Birmingham Children’s Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital, at a time when COVID-19 was becoming an issue and when full lockdown went into effect,’ wrote Louise in her letter. ‘This added complications and trauma to an already very difficult situation.
'During this time Fred did actually contract coronavirus and, although displaying no symptoms, we were moved to an isolation room with him in hospital.’
Louise explained that she and her husband spent 10 days isolation in a hospital room with their eldest son, while their younger 11-year-old son Arthur was unable to come and visit any of them.
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'We had to make the difficult decision of finding childcare for our 11 year old, who was not allowed in the hospital,’ explained Louise.
'We agonised over this. We spoke at length to our medical teams, and infection control to establish what was and was not acceptable and whether our situation was considered exceptional enough. This now seems laughable.’
The heartbroken mother revealed that after her older son tragically passed away, the bereaved parents returned to their family to collect younger son Arthur from their care.
The family then held a funeral for their late teenage son Fred, where only 10 people were allowed to attend the short graveside service.
'We were pleased that, by that time, lockdown had eased so that his school friends felt able to at least stand outside along the route from our house to the church to pay their respects, some cycled alongside the hearse,’ said Louise.
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'However the isolation we have felt, being unable to see our friends at this time, particularly for Arthur, has been immeasurable.'
'Therefore you can understand my dismay at the revelations about Dominic Cummings over the weekend, and the extraordinary lengths the Government has gone to to defend his actions,’ she fumed.
'The guidance was crystal clear. If you or a member of your family have symptoms of coronavirus you must not leave the house for any reason.
'The defence that he was anxious for the welfare of his child does not cut it with me. His wife was only mildly ill, he was showing no symptoms, these were not extraordinary circumstances.
'Quite frankly it is offensive to every family who has had to make incredibly difficult decisions and made extraordinary sacrifices in this lockdown, that this counts as a special case. I can list countless other options the Cummings family had,’ wrote Louise.
'How many parents have had coronavirus whilst living with a child in the house?
'Is the Government now saying that all of them would have been free to have travelled around the country finding a more convenient place to stay whilst they were at their most contagious?'
The bereaved mother finished her letter by writing, 'I would like you to pass on my experience to the Prime Minister, and every cabinet minister who has publicly defended Dominic Cummings' actions.
‘I would also like your assurance that the safety of the public, and the importance of controlling the virus is more important that one man’s job.'
