BABY THEO’S HOPE

Last updated 19:45, Thursday, 03 July 2008

First it was cottage hospitals, then post offices, it always seems to be bus services, and now dozens of our phone boxes are being earmarked for closure. Baby Theo Davies is living on borrowed time as his family desperately seeks a heart donor to save his life.

It seems that part of life’s fabric is slowly being unravelled before our eyes.

BT might have a point in closing down some of its pay-phones, particularly if the boxes are stuck out in the middle of nowhere and never used.

And, of course, we all see boxes from time to time that have been smashed by vandals; it must be tempting, too, to take those out of harm’s way.

But the emergency services might have something to say about closing down rural boxes where mobile phone coverage is patchy; while remembering that not everyone owns a mobile phone.

Call boxes might not be paying their way and BT as a private company needs to make a profit but, as in the case of post office closures, social responsibility seems to have dropped off the radar.

At least Allerdale council has launched a consultation to enable people to comment on these proposals.

It, at least, knows that its still good to talk. But will BT bother to listen?

He just needs someone, somewhere to give him a fighting chance.

It reminds us that the system of organ donation in this country is woefully inadequate.

We hope that the Government will come forward with proposals to encourage “presumed consent” to enable more organs to become available.

Meanwhile, let us pray that little Theo finds an angel out there somewhere.