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Billy Caldwell

(20 Posts)
alternativegran Tue 12-Jun-18 14:25:25

I watched ITV news at ten night and couldn’t believe that the Home Office has taken away Billy Caldwell’s cannabis based medicine.

Of course eventually all medicines must be standardised but here is a little boy who has had his medicine individually prescribed and hasnt had a seizure for 300 days
whilst on it.. As his mother pointed out stopping any medicine abruptly is dangerous, Billy had a seizure last
night and any seizure could cause death. It can’t be a child’s health and well being that is at the heart of this decision, I fear it’s money.

Luckygirl Tue 12-Jun-18 14:41:40

It is all so unfortunate. The law is a bit of an ass here - there must be some way it can be OK'd for genuine medical reasons.

sodapop Tue 12-Jun-18 14:47:15

I agree, there must be some way to make exceptions for medical use. My understanding is that the oil is quite different from illegal cannabis.

paddyann Tue 12-Jun-18 15:56:59

it should be legalised as medication.So many conditions apparently get great relief from Cannabis ,MS,Parkinsons disease,and one ery close to me Fibromyalgia.The Scottish government voted in favour of legalising it bit as its not a devolved issue we cant go ahead without WM consent....and we wont get that .

BlueBelle Tue 12-Jun-18 16:12:28

Well it is isn’t it they are selling cannabis oil in H and B or is this some extra strength one because I think you can get it in the NHS pain clinic too can’t you ?

petra Tue 12-Jun-18 17:20:23

I would like to know why she goes to Canada to get the oil.
Is there something very different from what we can buy here?
There obviously must be.

paddyann Tue 12-Jun-18 18:40:25

the stuff they sell isn't medical strength Bluebelle My daughter tried it and it is totally useless.She did get some medical strngth from a friend who works abroad where its leagal and the difference was amazing

Bridgeit Tue 12-Jun-18 18:59:48

Not only is it so sad, it’ s unbelievable in this day and age .

petra Tue 12-Jun-18 21:00:58

Bridgeit
Exactly!! It reminds me of the days when we had to act like criminals ( which in law we were) to buy my friends drugs to relieve the pain of MS.
At least it's a lot easier now: delivered to your door.

alternativegran Tue 12-Jun-18 21:58:27

Billy’s oil is especially prescribed for him, it contains a tiny amount of THC which is why it is against the law.

Charlotte had all Billy’s trial details with her when she saw the minister, her doctor said that even if all the bottles of medicine were drunk it wouldn’t be possible to get high.

Alfie Dingly the other little boy with a similar condition is now living with his mother in Holland where he can get his medication. It shouldn’t be necessary for parents of sick children to have to move to other countries just to keep them alive.

Eloethan Tue 12-Jun-18 22:37:36

This was a topic on The Wright Stuff this morning. It was stated that the UK is the world's biggest manufacturer and exporter of medical cannabis. And yet people like this young boy and MS sufferers who could benefit greatly from this apparently non-psychoactive treatment are denied it. The doctor on the panel said he is allowed to prescribe a form of heroin (Diamorphine) for the relief of pain and yet he can't prescribe medical cannabis. He thought it was a nonsense and a disgrace - as did the rest of the panel.

I don't know that anyone would want to take it unless it was to relieve or hold at bay severe symptoms because if it has no psychoactive ingredients what would be the point?

alternativegran Wed 13-Jun-18 09:06:32

It has emerged that Teresa Mays husband works for a company that owns the largest stake in Britain’s only legal supplier of a marijuana medicine. Victoria Atkins a home office minister has stopped speaking on cannabis after it was revealed that her husband is responsible for GW pharmaceuticals marijuana farm

GW sells Sativax a cannabis extract spray at £125 a bottle and they have a monopoly

Ronnie Cowan MP said we should be asking is the government prioritising the interests of ‘big pharma’ monopoly profits over the health and well being of UK citizens.

grannyactivist Wed 13-Jun-18 13:15:14

There is a petition about this here, please sign:
www.change.org/p/government-government-stops-northern-ireland-boy-medication

alternativegran Wed 13-Jun-18 14:12:23

Thank you grannyactivist

I have just signed the petition and sent it off to several friends. I do hope it makes an impact what an appalling situation for Billy’s mother to be in.

OldMeg Wed 13-Jun-18 14:36:04

Alfie Dingly, the other little boy whose family is petioning for this drug, has a rare type of epilepsy that means he usually fits at night. So his mother has to stay awake and alert for these episodes, And once he starts fitting he often doesn’t stop and his mother has to drive him from her home in Kennilworth to Oxford for treatment. By herself (there is a younger sibling) sometimes 2-3 times a week, in the dark with her son fitting in the car.

Each episode cause more damage to Alfie.

The family took him to Holland for treatment and this drastically reduced his seizures. Last I heard they were back in the country trying to get this drug legalised.

These poor families.

Bridgeit Wed 13-Jun-18 15:30:17

Also signed

Parsley3 Wed 13-Jun-18 15:34:21

Signed.

Eloethan Wed 13-Jun-18 19:10:19

Signed. The petition seems to be doing well.

trisher Wed 13-Jun-18 19:43:01

Signed and shared. Thanks grannyactivist

alternativegran Fri 15-Jun-18 08:21:50

Billy Caldwell has suffered a second seizure, his mother is hopeful that they will be given back his medicine but the reason the government doesn’t want to do this is because it would open the door to hundreds of other sick children.

Richard Brandson has given his support I hope that will put more pressure on the government.