After hearing the sadness of the death of little Ivan Cameron, I am reproducing this lovely photo of the family in happier times. The baby Ivan is clearly achieving things that the parents had been told were unachievable.   In moments of grief these happy images of a beloved child or pet offer immeasurable consolation and I am very pleased to reproduce the Camerons’ happy memory here.

Grief is often a subject of which we cannot speak to others – a little like the issue of vaginal dryness.

This is just the latest image that has endeared me to David Cameron as our future Prime Minister.  Anyone who can devote his energies so publicly to a severely disabled child and hug dogs for a photo shoot without a thought for his own supremacy has my vote! “never work with animals or children” the saying goes .  Certainly David Cameron’s beautiful severely disabled son Ivan was a scene stealer, with a tranquil beauty that belied his painful life.  Our thoughts go out to the whole family on the loss of their beautiful boy.
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All I can say after the tragic news of the death of Ivan Cameron is that I hope he will rest in peace. This child was born with devastating health problems that made normal lifel impossible. His parents had to come to terms with the fact that he would live only for a short time, but with every day human nature hopes for more. So it was sudden andfrightening when finally little Ivan’s life ended on Tuesday night.  Sorrow and sympathy extend to David, Samantha and their family on this poignant day.

Hopefully when the dust settles they can once again look for TW Steel watches and other consumer goods.

If the Obamas do decide to adopt a Portuguese Water dog this spring, the new pet has an exciting life to look forward to. There will always be someone willing to walk him – if Malia and Sasha are busy doing their homework there are dozens of staff on hand who will be only too pleased to take the First Dog for a walk.  This breed appears to be favourite after advice from Ted Kennedy, who has two Portuguese Water Dogs of his own and he thinks they sould be well adapted to life in the Oval Office.  these are not a breed of dog likely to climb on the stereo cabinet or misbehave in other ways, so they can be trusted when disinguished visitors are in the building.

We already expect the Obama dog to arrive in April, what kind of dog will it be? The favourite breed so far seems to be a Portuguese Water Dog, and it will be an adult dog. There are plenty of breed-specific rescue organisations who will try to match you up with a dog needing a new start. It is a good idea to avoid getting a puppy, as the restrictions of living in the White House make life difficult for a younger dog.

All dog adoptions can be revoked if they do not work out, this is something like returning engagement rings after breaking up! It is better to admit it if the adoption does not work out and the charity will find the dog a more suitable new home.

I am as curious as everyone else to know which breed of dog the Obama family is going to adopt. They have already confirmed they intend to get a rescue dog, which is a good example to set.  Like us, they have decided to time the arrival of their new dog after their spring vacation.  There is no point in booking cruises straight after getting a new pet!The first family will be back home in April so we can look forward to the patter of four tiny new feet around Easter.