Day 3 of CO Awareness Week
Following what can only be described as the most positive victims event ever in the House of Lords, dominated by the most empowering presentation ever by Albert Donney. His talk which lasted some 30 minutes not only set out an easy to understand diagnostic protocol but also outlined a proven and relatively inexpensive treatment for chronic poisoning cases which appeared to be able to reduce the effects and maintain that reduction once the treatment has been discontinued.
Lynn welcomed everyone and took the opportunity to publically thank those people who had supported her since the formation of CO Awareness. Lord Mckenzie of Luton made the keynote speech in which he acknowledged the worth of the work being done by Lynn and the charity. He also voiced his sincere regret that the number of incidents and victims had shown an increase since last years event, proving that there was still a lot of work to be done to address the lack of knowledge of the various stakeholders in the problem.
We also received a presentation on the use and effectiveness mo Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy from a doctor on the staff of Whips Cross Hospital. Presentations were then made by a number of the victims assembled in the room and two of the relatives of victims. Dave Worswick gave a very poignant description of what had happened to his daughter Mary Ann and Helen spoke of the things she would like to see happento prevent others suffering the same fate as her husband Mike who died in his sleep from CO poisoning.
Asked to add some closing words I praised Albert Donney for both the hope and comfort his presentation and the talk the previuos evening in the Tavistock Hotel had bought to both the victims and myself. I also spoke of the new partnering initiatives with organisations such as the Corgi Trust, Gas Safe Register, Chartered Institute of Plumbing and Heating Engineering, the merchants represented by Debbie Sue Price of Curzon as well as personal supporters such as Chris Bielby of Centrica plc. Significant emphasis was placed on the importance of partnerships which, if organised and used properly would enable us to achieve so much more. The identification of the registered installers who interact with the public at large as the greatest weapon in the fight to improve gas safety was also emphasised and the attention of those present was also drawn to a medical presentation in the press pack that stated quite definitely that CO poisoning was the only tenable unifying diagnosis for the aggresive multiple symptom presentation which often mystified those members of the medical profession stillignorant of the effects of this type of event.
The whole event was described by many of those attending as inspirational and well worth the effort to attend.
