by Melissa Hill
Madeleine felt like she had been hit by a train.
But how could you not feel that way when the carefully constructed persona and platform you had spent so much time building came crumbling down all around you?
“...so this morning’s High Court ruling suggests that this small community could soon be thrust directly into a savage anti-vaccination debate. The question remains: Who really is responsible when children are not vaccinated? Is this a frivolous lawsuit on behalf of Ms. O’Hara? Or can the Cooper family truly be held accountable for little Rosie O’Hara’s condition?”
“Why is she doing this?” Madeleine’s voice shook. “Why would anyone...”
“I don’t know and I’m so sorry. Can I do anything?” Lucy asked quietly.
Madeleine had almost forgotten her friend was on the other end of the line.
“I don’t... I just... No. I’m sorry, I need to go. Talk to you later.” And before Lucy could respond, she hung up the phone and continued to listen to Gemma Moore’s almost gleeful report on the legal action, her corresponding just-published article in the Daily Record, as well as all the background on Madeleine’s celebrity-blogger status, recent Morning Coffee appearances and often-controversial take on parenthood.
She cringed as the woman repeatedly rattled off the name and website address of the Mad Mum blog, just in case the public might need more information.
Or a target, more like, she thought, terrified.
Her vision blurred. She felt dizzy and light-headed. Her whole world was crumbling, and she had no idea what she was going to do.
Her laptop pinged from the kitchen table and Madeleine moved back to it, her hands shaking as immediately, in the wake of the bulletin, she watched comments pop up on her website, blog and various social media channels—almost all at the same time.
Horrible, hurtful, personal comments. She was being openly mocked.
@MumsForHealth What a joke. One thing for @MadMum to talk about not taking motherhood seriously, quite another to be downright irresponsible! Vaccinate your kids for god’s sake! #measlescourtcase
This had already been shared a couple of hundred times.
@Journalie Breaking: Irish mummy blogger @MadMum in hot water for her #antivaxx status. #MadMum or #BadMum—your thoughts?
Then all of the follow-up commentary as the entire internet seemed to pile on with relish.
All of a sudden, everyone had an opinion on her and her family. Some expressed a hope that she and Tom “lost everything” in the court case. Others even bleated for social services to take away their kids...
As Madeleine scrolled through the rapidly increasing traffic, which had both her own name and that of her blog trending almost instantly nationwide, her panic levels rose in accordance.
Mercifully, she saw that there were at least one or two people defending her in the midst of the melee, but they were few and far between. Complete strangers tried to talk reason, while others expressed outright hatred.
@MumtoCharlie Give her a break, we don’t know the full details yet. Maybe there’s a reason her kids didn’t get vaccinated. Could be allergic or vulnerable? #trolls #innocentuntilprovenguilty
@MforMum Thinking of Kate O’Hara and poor little Rosie. Shame on you @MadMum. #Irresponsible #JusticeforRosie #vaccineswork
Her mother-in-law had been right to warn her, Madeleine realized now, the full horror of it all overtaking her. The public loved to express an opinion—never more so than on the internet—and right now, the full force of those primarily negative opinions was headed directly her way.
These people didn’t even know her. They had no idea what was going on with this situation—outside of what Gemma Moore had told them, that was.
Gemma Moore.
She was behind all of this. Yes, she and the other woman had locked horns a little on the panel show, but for Madeleine, at least, it had been harmless banter, just for the cameras. What had she done to seriously deserve all this?
“Oh, my God. What do I do?” she whispered into the silence of her kitchen.
She thought about deleting some of the comments beneath her blog and on Facebook (unlike Twitter, at least she could get rid of those) but then hesitated, knowing full well what internet trolls did when they thought they were being “silenced.”
They just got louder.
Her head spun as she tried to think through her options. It was true that people had short attention spans, and she supposed she could just ignore this. However, she was also smart enough to realize that to remain silent was probably the worst thing that she could do.
Damage control...
She bit her lip, realizing the other further-reaching implications of all this, too. She could only imagine what was being said around Knockroe, by people who actually knew her and Kate.
She had to address this. Being up-front and honest about what had happened was the right choice. It had always been her modus operandi both on-and off-line, and that wasn’t going to change now.
Madeleine pulled up her word processor and began to type a fresh blog post—one that she hoped would go viral just as quickly as Gemma’s news story.
She wasn’t a villain and this was all being blown way out of proportion. Madeleine was sure people would understand once they heard her side of the story. She would explain everything and let the world know that she wasn’t a bad person, or an irresponsible mother.
With luck, Kate would hear about it and read it, too, and finally she might be able to reach Rosie’s mum in a way she couldn’t thus far.
She’d let Tom do things his way and, based on what had happened that morning, it had proven to be the wrong move.
Madeleine would make this right. She had to.
28
THE DAILY RECORD—WEEKEND OPINION
Should childhood vaccination programs be compulsory?
A recent study released by the American Medical Journal found that uptake of childhood vaccinations has steadily declined over the last decade. In some American states the coverage is now below 85%, leading some government officials to push for mandatory vaccination of all schoolchildren.
This move is being viewed by some as an attack on human rights, while others are applauding the decision. There are no official figures available in relation to the uptake in Ireland. We spoke to leading pediatrician Dr. Marcus Geraghty about his views on the future of the Irish vaccination programs.
“The main worry is the uptake figures. If the number of people availing of the vaccinations falls below 90%, the whole program is at risk,” he said.
“Nobody likes the term ‘herd immunity,’ we don’t like to think of our kids as cattle. The reality is that if you have a large number of unvaccinated children, outbreaks become more common and prolonged. You end up with a situation where very young babies who haven’t yet had their shots end up infected, and so the program fails.”
When asked if he felt children’s vaccinations should be mandatory, he said:
“That is a very difficult question to answer. I think education of parents is key. We have to ask, why are some people deciding against vaccination? I think the emergence of often false information via the internet has a lot to do with it. Parents have come to me and said they have read about vaccinations causing autism and a myriad of other complications. These anecdotal stories are unsubstantiated and they cause undue stress to parents in much the same way as my self-diagnosing the cause of a headache using Google. Invariably it will tell me I have everything from cancer to a brain tumor.
“The reality is that for many years these vaccinations have saved children from serious diseases that have been proven clinically and medically to cause suffering and death. We put warm clothes on our kids in winter so they don’t catch colds, we apply sunscreen to stop them getting sunburn and melanomas. We make them
wear helmets on their bikes and scooters. If you have it in your power to protect, you should do so. Should vaccinations be mandatory? No.
“Should people vaccinate their children? Absolutely yes.”
We then quizzed Dr. Geraghty about the medical reviews—namely that of Dr. Andrew Wakefield—that had drawn links between autism and the MMR vaccination, to which he replied:
“I’ve read the review you’re referring to. It has been totally debunked and indeed retracted by the author. Unfortunately, it’s caused some serious doubts among parents that we need to address, and again it goes back to the education issue.”
Finally, we asked Dr. Geraghty about the recent high-profile legal action pertinent to the vaccination debate and currently pending in the Irish courts.
“I will not comment on individual cases as it would be unfair and reckless. I do hope, however, that the little girl involved makes a fast and full recovery. I’d also hope that it enables parents to see the real and present dangers of the very diseases we are trying to eradicate.”
So what’s your view? Should the decision be taken out of parents’ hands? Or should it remain an individual choice?
Poll: Should childhood vaccinations be mandatory in Ireland?
O Yes
O No
O I don’t know
Comments:
Hunny Bunny: Of course they should be compulsory. I’m anti-Nanny State, but we can’t let the tinfoil-hat-wearing conspiracy theorists put our kids at risk.
Sallymander replied: I tip my tinfoil hat to you, Hunny. The last government that rolled out compulsory injections were the Nazis and we all know that didn’t end well.
Bally replied: Your gas, Sally. Not.
5LeafClover replied: It’s “you’re gas.”
Cherylturf: Jeez, how did we get from vaccination to two types of Nazis—real ones and grammar ones? I voted yes. I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to mine because of a decision I’d made based on internet rumor.
BillyBray replied: Cheryl, could you live with yourself if one of yours developed complications because of a vaccination? Google HPV side effects and educate yourself.
Cherylturf replied: Billy, thanks for your concern for my education. I never said I thought vaccinations were 100% safe, but I also happen to know these diseases, including cervical cancer, are no barrel of laughs.
PS: I fear for you if you think being able to type something into a search engine is “educating yourself.”
Papajim: Can’t believe how much like sheep people are! Seriously, let the government and Health Service take full responsibility for me and my family? People do realize these people kill as many as they save every year. If mandatory vaccination happens you’ll find me at the airport with my family.
J Adams replied: Papajim, can you post a link to where I can read about all these doctors killing their patients? Also being a responsible citizen and parent is not sheepish behavior, it’s what grown-ups do every day. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out.
Debs415: I do feel sorry for the parents of kids with health issues that prevent them being immunized. A girl in my daughter’s school has some blood disorder meaning she can’t have the jabs, yet there are serious complications for her if she catches measles or chicken pox like that girl in the news at the moment. She depends on the diligence of other parents not sending their kids in sick. There are a few mothers in that school that value their girls’ brunches and morning coffees more than staying at home with their sick children. It’s a Catch 22 really, but I think mandatory jabs might be the way to go. Far more people will be harmed than be affected by side effects if these diseases are not kept in check, IMO.
Johnny B replied: Do you trust the government and big pharma companies though? When you sign consent to have your child vaccinated you are also indemnifying the pharma companies—why? The answer is because their product comes with risks attached. What happens if these vaccines are mandatory? Do me and my family have the right to go after these multibillion-euro industries if something goes wrong, even though we’ve no say in the matter? I very much doubt it. This alone is reason for giving people the right to choose, otherwise it’s a slippery slope.
DollyDo: There should be a mandatory course teaching common sense for people with kids. The amount of loonies not getting their kids vaccinated like that idiot Mummy Blogger on TV is mind boggling! Do people want to go back to medieval times when vast swathes of the population were wiped out by the very diseases that modern medicine has all but eradicated? Until these know-it-all conspiracy theory loudmouths came along. Here we have people turning their noses up at expensive to produce, yet freely available vaccinations that prevent dangerous diseases. A little knowledge in the wrong hands is a truly dangerous thing.
RubyD replied: +1 DollyDo. The mother of one of my daughter’s school friends made a big fuss about the MMR booster shots. Keeping her girl out of school that day in case someone would sneak a jab into her kid’s arm. The same one won’t even allow the kid a treat like the rest of the class on Fridays, and sends us all texts not to allow her daughter sweets or other junk food when she’s over for playdates. She seems to think sugar is the enemy, but allows her kids out into the world with no protection from things far worse than a packet of gummy bears...
29
Madeleine took a deep breath as, later the following week, she sat in the makeup chair at the Channel 2 studio, complying when the makeup artist instructed her to shut her eyes so she could apply eye shadow.
This morning was another attempt at rebuilding her reputation and saving face, but Madeleine had expressly checked with the producer about the other panel guests (namely Gemma Moore) on today’s Morning Coffee show before agreeing to go on.
While she was surprised that they’d asked her back given the flood of negative sentiment surrounding her just now, she was grateful for the opportunity to face the public, even though she’d been forbidden from uttering a single word about the case, never mind try to defend herself.
“I’m really not happy about this, Maddie,” her husband warned, when she’d told him she planned to face the music and hold her head high by carrying on as normal, rather than cowering in a corner, hiding away from what was being said about her.
Grimacing afresh at the media storm and public outcry that was still raging, she tried to think positive and remind herself that Tom was just as frustrated as she about this entire situation. He was angry at everything, not at her particularly.
At least not much, said a little voice in her head. He was still reeling over that blog post she had published on the day of the first news report, but following a speedy warning phone call from Matt Townsend, almost immediately had to take down.
In her own words, Madeleine had essentially pled her case—she had done her best to be sincere and tell the public the truth. But their solicitor had warned her about practically handing Kate and her legal team a victory and told her not to worry about what the public thought.
Her husband had readily agreed. “Who gives a rat’s ass about what your ‘followers’ think at a time like this? Not when our entire life savings and everything we’ve both worked for are in jeopardy.”
The words had stung but they had been said out of anger and frustration, and, admittedly, Madeleine hadn’t thought about it that way.
Perhaps worst of all, the blog hadn’t made the least bit of a difference, and if anything had stoked the fire of public dissent. Try as she might, Madeleine didn’t know what the solution was.
However, even if she wanted to further ponder the weight of her worries, it wouldn’t have been possible, because her thoughts were just then interrupted by an all-too-familiar voice.
And the feeling of unease that she had been holding in her stomach ever since the story broke lurched forward and plummeted, like she had just gone o
ver the biggest drop on a roller coaster.
“Hiya!” called the voice. “Yes, great week. You?” There was a bout of laughter and then the voice got closer. “I’m actually doing Coffee today, so I’d better get in to makeup and then I’ll catch up with you in the green room, OK?”
Madeleine’s eyes flew open, which earned her a tut from the makeup person. Mumbling her apologies, she flicked her eyes to the vacant chair next to hers before closing them again, wishing it would make her invisible.
No, this can’t be happening to me—I can’t be sharing the panel with Gemma Moore. She groaned in complete disbelief. But how? The producer had expressly denied that her nemesis Gemma would be on today.
Had he lied? Was the studio hoping for a ratings winner with some kind of standoff? But that wasn’t what this show was all about—it was a chatty, lighthearted lifestyle slot, not an episode of Jerry Springer.
But then why...
“Morning, Marcie,” Gemma greeted, situating herself in the chair next to Madeleine. “I know I’m not on the roster for this morning, but Conor called me for a last-minute fill-in and—”
Her voice dramatically fell silent, and Madeleine willed herself to play it cool. Clearly, the journalist had also spotted who was sitting next to her.
“Madeleine,” she said simply. It was not a question, and Gemma’s voice had taken on an imperturbable edge, as if she, too, had been duped and was unaware that the two would be sharing the panel this morning.
Madeleine secretly wondered what she had done to this woman—by all accounts a complete stranger—to make her so obviously dislike her. Why else would the journalist, with her sniping article and subsequent TV news appearance, be trying to ruin her reputation?
Regardless, she did her best to swallow the panic she felt. She was no coward and she had dealt with bitches like this before. Not to mention every small-town committee and parent-teacher association had someone similar. Gemma Moore would soon understand that Madeleine wasn’t someone who was going to be walked all over.
