Mums all around

Thu 22nd Nov 2007 by Ben Palmer.

I went out to dinner with the Mums from Harry's class again last night. It was a good turn out, a newly renovated pub with good food and a steady flow of wine and conversation.

At one point talk turned to Harry and how he has coped with not having a Mummy, and one of the Mums told me about a telly program, The Mummy Diaries in which Julie Stokes, the founder of Winston's Wish, helps young families cope with their mothers' terminal cancers.

Purely by chance, because I wasn't looking for it, I flicked over to it tonight just as the last of the three programmes in the series was starting. It was a gentle and beautiful programme about some very brave people. In their planning and understanding of the possible death of Mummy I could see so much of our family since Jessica's death - the same fears and worries were there.

I am humbled by some of the bravery I have seen. Children are stronger, more resilient and wiser than we adults may always credit and I am proud to be made aware of how well Harry and Emily measure up in those respects.

Next time we get together as a class, we're going to try and get the Dads to come along as well.

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What is childbed fever?

Childbed fever is an infection of the womb in new mothers which can lead to septicaemia. If left untreated infection will cause organ failure and death - even in young, fit mothers.

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We would like every parent and every midwife and doctor to know that childbed fever is still a very real threat to a mother's life.

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Who is Jessica?

Jessica Palmer was a Mum. She died in June 2004, at 34 years old, of childbed fever caused by Group A streptococcus.

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