David Cameron is no man

Few could have been unmoved by the death of Ivan Cameron and the dignified way in which David and Samantha Cameron dealt with the difficult circumstances.

As a new dad of six months, I have a lovely, healthy daughter who has been remarkably well behaved since she was born. I was told of the horror stories of sleepless nights and soiled nappies but I have to say that we have managed well, so far, thanks largely to a very supportive family.

Our daughter is healthy and developing normally as expected. We thank God each day that we don’t have to deal with the complex needs and demands of Ivan that the Cameron’s had to deal with since his birth. However, if faced with such a situation, I am sure we would do our best. After all, children are a gift and as parents, we love them to bits no matter what they look like and what their needs are.

The difference with the Cameron’s and most of us is that whilst we would probably do as much, we don’t have the pressures of David Cameron. Few could ever imagine the stresses and strains that David has to go through on a daily basis with possibly the toughest job in the country.

For the first time this week, I was kept up for much of the night by Aminah who was in severe pain and I realised how difficult it could have been had this happened on a regular basis. After a few hours, she settled down. It can’t possibly compare to the needs of a child requiring round the clock attention and care. As I tried desperately to comfort her, I thought about all the parents with children with special needs and about Ivan. It helped me to appreciate just how lucky we were. I couldn’t begin to imagine the sacrifices of David and Samantha and all the other people who have to manage their life around the needs of their special children.

As David said, in time, he will learn to live with the fond memories Ivan brought to their lives during the short time with them. David Cameron will emerge as a stronger leader from these very sad times. It couldn’t have been easy to mourn and grieve with the worlds media intruding in your very private feelings but he did remarkably. He showed tremendous courage and steely resolve in public.

In times like these different people react and respond differently. David said and did just enough in public as he slipped away from the media glare for his private time with the family. He re-emerged again for public duty and got back to the task in hand with remarkable focus. It can’t be easy and he must still be hurting but he had to manage the expectations his job brings with it and that means putting your private feelings aside and thinking about the needs of the country sooner than most of us would about our own routines. That makes his a very special person. Not quite superman but close.