Camerons 'strong' in face of son's death, says Osborne

Published on Sunday 1 March 2009 21:04

DAVID Cameron and his family are "coping" with the sudden death of his son, the shadow chancellor said yesterday.

George Osborne said the Tory leader was "very, very moved" by the level of public sympathy after six-year-old Ivan – who suffered from a rare epilepsy condition accompanied by severe cerebral palsy – died in hospital on Wednesday.

Mr Osborne, a close friend of the Camerons, said:

"I have spoken to David Cameron a couple of times since – he and his family are coping with it, they are a very strong family.

"He has been very, very moved by the very large numbers of letters and e-mails he has received from members of the public but also by the way parliament and the political parties handled the issue last Wednesday.

"The British political system showed its ability to express massive sympathy with the Cameron family and this huge outpouring by the public – including many people who themselves have disabled children or who have lived with the death of a child – has helped this family in a difficult time.

"They will come through it because they are strong people."

Mr Cameron opened his heart publicly over the weekend for the first time his son's death, telling well-wishers the loss of Ivan had left a hole in family life "so big that words can't describe it".

Mr Cameron, who has two other children with wife Sam,

said the couple had always been acutely aware that Ivan might die young.

"But we didn't expect to lose him so young and so suddenly," he wrote in an e-mail to party activists. He leaves a hole in our life so big that words can't describe it. Bed time, bath time, meal time – nothing will feel the same again."

A private funeral will take place tomorrow.