Pure devotion
Mothers like Kay are made of different stuff from most of us. I know, I've seen them in action. When I made a TV documentary on women who cared for their severely disabled children, it became apparent to me that duty had nothing to do with it. This was love and devotion expressed to the highest imaginable degree.

On a daily basis they exercise a selflessness that most of us can't comprehend. They neglect their own needs and often their own health, going for years without much in the way of rest, social life, hobbies, sleep and holidays - all the things the rest of us consider to be our human rights. Their dedication is way beyond levels most of us are ever called on to give.

One woman told me that caring for her child had become her whole focus and there was no way she would have wanted to carry on without that child. So, in going against all maternal instincts, Kay's action constituted the greatest, most selfless act of love it was possible for a parent to make.

She knew that, when Lynn tried to take her own life, it wasn't a cry for help or the result of going through a bad patch.
Lynn had discussed her desire to die at length with her parents and publicly in her online diary, and had even sent off for information from Swiss suicide clinic Dignitas.

Carers' plight
On a less dramatic level, carers of severely-disabled people are grappling on a daily basis with severe psychological and physical stress.

The value of unpaid work provided by carers is in the region of £87 billion a year in the UK, yet they often struggle behind the scenes with ill health, isolation, poverty, guilt and exhaustion, which sometimes leads to desperate actions.

It's a pity that it always seems to take a tragic story to highlight their plight.

Source: Daily Mirror

Pic: Amy Burton