Читать книгу Helen's Story - Rosemary Fox - Страница 6

Just imagine that in 1962 you have been blessed with a happy, healthy baby daughter and that overnight she is transformed into one who could never be normal and who suffers permanent mental handicap and convulsions. Then, as you sought explanations and challenged the Government’s refusal of compensation, you were warned that you were damaging the vaccine programme and told to keep quiet. How, in that deferential age, would any woman react?

Even in those unenlightened days, when women were expected to keep their place, Rosemary Fox refused to condone this lamentable ethos, defied convention and began a modest, reasonable but determined campaign for compensation. It eventually involved the Ombudsman, a Royal Commission, the European Commission on Human Rights, Parliament and the Prime Minister. According to the Secretary of State for Health, it was ‘one of the best examples I have experienced of a group of people with a cause that they know is right changing the course of events…. Their campaign was almost a perfect example of how a voluntary organisation should do its job.’ These comments, however, came after years of acrimonious exchanges with him in the House of Commons.

Despite the compliments at the end of the campaign, during it Rosemary had to endure bitter condemnation for arousing ‘unnecessary’ fears about the vaccination programme. Indeed, all who helped her were similarly attacked, notwithstanding the severe damage to some children, testified by doctors and eventually admitted by the Ministry of Health. Rosemary had to face procrastination at all levels of Government, as well as vituperative personal attacks. There were even attempts to take over her organisation and expel her.

The rollercoaster hazards of these efforts to seek justice are faithfully recorded in this meticulous account. It is an honest, disturbing but ultimately inspiring story which resulted in a complete reversal of Government policy – to the benefit of all vaccine damaged children.

Jack Ashley