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Gillian McCarthy on ITV Westcountry news tomorrow 6pm (England)

mermaid

Senior Member
Messages
714
Location
UK
I have been writing to Gillian for a year now, and recently she gave me the contacts she had in the local ITV news as she has been filmed before by them, though not recently. I contacted the editor on her behalf, and they filmed and interviewed her yesterday.

I have been told today that they delayed the programme being shown today while they try to find an MCS expert. I have given them 2 names but only one in the UK (Prof Hooper). It is hard to know who to suggest to be honest, and I have now asked that they don't put forward a psychiatrist, but put someone on who is on the biological side of things.

I would ask that anyone who is able to, please record the programme. I will be doing this myself, and my brother, but if anything goes wrong it will be helpful to have some back up.

For those of you who don't know Gillian's background - she has severe ME and MCS (the latter triggered almost certainly by her contact with organophosphates and her early career as an agricultural chemist).

She moved to a hut 17 years ago in Somerset, UK, on the understanding that she would have a safe house built for her and funded by central govt. The story of why she is still there in an unheated and now leaking hut is too complex to go into here, but suffice it to say that her living conditions are not fit for anyone, let alone someone who is severely ill.

Some old links here if you want to read the historical background.....
http://www.mcs-international.org/gillian_mccarthy_tv_interview.html
http://www.mcs-international.org/arc2_5_gillian_campaign.html
 

justy

Donate Advocate Demonstrate
Messages
5,524
Location
U.K
Thanks Mermaid for posting this - i had to scroll quite far down the page to find it.
Thank you also for contacting the television people and for writing to Gillian. Do you think anyhting will come of her being on the programme. I can't believe thE quote from Somerset council. I understand from former posts about Gillian that they offered her a wholly unsuitable static caravan to live in and when she refused they insisted she see a psychiatrist.

She has also had ALL medical care removed, they will no longer see her un;less she undergoes a psychiatric assesment, which she refuses to do.

I have had a very long phone conversation with Gillian and can say that she seems a loevly and very caring woman. The story of her initial exposure to organophosphates as a student and then throughout her career, until she becam esick is horrendous.

What more can be done to help Gillian?
Justy
 

mermaid

Senior Member
Messages
714
Location
UK
If you put the Vimeo link that Mark posted, into the top line, it's a lot quicker to find it.

I was relieved that they didn't actually have someone from the council speaking on there - as you say the quote made them sound dreadful, which is better for Gillian.I am afraid that there is little hope from the authorities - the position has become really entrenched there now.

I have been writing to Gillian all year, and trying to advocate for her in small ways that she is OK with. The TV was one thing, and I have an application to a charitable trust in too.There may be other things that can be achieved in different ways from the norm and this up to date film may be useful to use.

Going to email you Justy (if I can find your email address) - look out for it!