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A short thread on masks and secondary schools.
This is my brother and me in the oncology waiting room today, about to be told that mum's treatment has stopped working and that there are no more options to stop the tumours in her lungs from growing
This is my brother and me in the oncology waiting room today, about to be told that mum's treatment has stopped working and that there are no more options to stop the tumours in her lungs from growing
This is the tumour that is going to kill her. It was found in early 2017 and is, by now, a part of the family. A course of chemo, 2 years of watch and wait, and 6 months of immunotherapy later, it's back
My mother moved here from the US in 1969, married my father, had us, and did an English degree at North London Poly. She got a first and then taught English for 20 years. One of her former KS3 students - @DrNighatArif - saved her life by telling her to go to the doctor
Here's one of the portraits of Dr Arif that ma was taking when she was advised to visit the GP. My mother is an entirely brilliant and self taught portrait photographer. My impossibly glamorous twitter pic is one of hers.
And this is the self-portrait that mum has chosen as the centrepiece for her funeral. It's printed out on canvas already and waiting behind a chair in the living room
I live with ma, and am technically her carer. In practice that means that we stay up far too late watching box sets and hate-watching news about Donald Trump. Her new deadline is to live long enough to vote against him in the election. That's only 2 months. 60 something days.
I'd like her to have that please. I would like her to have a chance to die on her own terms, on her own schedule. I would like her not to be sacrificed to the political expedience of politicians posturing about secondary school students, behaviour and masks.
Here's my brother and me again.
I am T1 diabetic and am 3.5 times more likely to die than other white women my age if I get C-19.
My brother lives in Tring. His son is 15, and his town is currently having an outbreak of C-19 among Y11s and Y13s celebrating their results.
I am T1 diabetic and am 3.5 times more likely to die than other white women my age if I get C-19.
My brother lives in Tring. His son is 15, and his town is currently having an outbreak of C-19 among Y11s and Y13s celebrating their results.
My nephew has dodged it. For now. We have dodged it. For now. But when the kids come back, it will come back. It has already, as soon as they gather. Please encourage your teenagers to wear masks. Teachers and parents like me and my brother are people. Lives like our mum's matter
Our lives matter.
I am reduced to begging: please ask your students to wear masks. Please wear masks yourselves. Please don't make me kill my mother before she can cast the first vote of her adult life.
p.s. While you're at it, please don't kill me either.
I am reduced to begging: please ask your students to wear masks. Please wear masks yourselves. Please don't make me kill my mother before she can cast the first vote of her adult life.
p.s. While you're at it, please don't kill me either.
I realise that in all the uncharacteristic sincerity I failed to mention that I am a London secondary school teacher. And that I am terrified.
