To wonder why Anne Diamond has still not received the recognition she deserves after saving the lives of 1000s of babies.

[Helpmefindaholiday]

I vaguely knew the story but I’ve just read a fuller account. So after her own family tragedy, she researched and discovered a study was going on in NZ where a Dr was promoting the ‘back to sleep’ campaign. She flew out to speak to this Dr and came back and met with V Bottomley who was then health Sec. They wanted to wait and see but AD refused to do this and used her own money to fly the NZ Dr over to speak to VB. it snowballed from there. From 1989-1992 the number of cot deaths in the UK more than halved. That is hundreds of thousands of babies saved thanks to Anne Diamond and her campaign. I just find it incredulous that we hand out ‘gongs’ for all sorts but nothing for a woman whose campaign was a game changer and how many middle aged parents who are happily watching their children get married and give them grandchildren have this woman to thank for saving them from a life of bereaved agony. MN should be campaigning for proper recognition for this woman and all she’s done for children in the UK.

It’s a shame she hasn’t taken over from MW as I may have watched it then!

Yes you are right that celebrity can lend weight to researchers. That is one of the saddest facts about our society

She also used her profile to raise a huge amount of money for the cot death charity FSID (now known as the Lullaby Trust) via a Sun campaign. Perhaps they should be involved in the nomination process.

I agree with you. Have a quick look at the clicky link to nominate for an award, but it says you need an address?

Nominating her for an award isn't exactly a two minute job. You need supporting evidence and two letters of support for example.

She totally deserves one but it's not a case of a quick click through

I didn’t really know anything about this because I was only tiny when it happened, but the links and stats are eye opening. I think it’s amazing that she had the strength after such a devastating tragedy to do so much for other babies and families.

I had no idea!

How do you nominate without her details?
Can anyone share them so that we can nominate?

Sorry, I’ve just realised that myself. Is there any other way to raise the profile of this?

I don’t know if she was overlooked because she basically forced the hand of the government or whether she was just overlooked.

I have thought this for ages! All four of my children were laid on their stomachs. They were te lucky ones.

Perhaps @MNHQ could be involved in assisting with a nomination in some way?

Yes, this is the very sort of thing that MN should champion. Who knows how many youngish mums on here are only on here due to the Back to Sleep campaign.

Maybe because not everyone believes in it?

I had my babies after the campaign started and my midwife - an older woman - recommended wrapping babies and putting them on their sides. And then having a rolled up cot sheet either side to keep them in place. Her rationale was that if they were sick, it would just dribble out.
It made sense to me, so I did it with all of mine.

That’s interesting, @confusedbeetle. My knowledge is all from what I’ve read online but my understanding was that Anne Diamond was instrumental in developing and publicising the Back to Sleep campaign in the UK (though I think NZ and possibly other places already had their own campaign). Is that untrue? I don’t know anything about the antimony link though.

I was actually thinking the dedicated researchers Confused Beetle refers to should also get honours.

But last time I looked into this I thought one of the criteria was that one shouldn't get an honour for doing one's paid job (so paid charity exec doesn't get honour for that job). Which does make it less clear cut for the professionals.

I heard the audio of that transcribed BBC news interview.

I am usually one of the stoniest-faced bitches going, but by god I was a wreck after hearing it.

I too am surprised she's never received formal recognition - she's a similar campaigner as Esther Rantzen and she's a Dame:

Rantzen was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1991 New Year Honours for services to broadcasting,[27] before being promoted to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2006 Birthday Honours for services to children and young people,[28] and then Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to children and older people through ChildLine and The Silver Line.[29]

Confusedbeetle that’s really interesting. I believe the advice is still out there that every baby should have a new mattress. Why is this still the case if there is no evidence behind it?

I looked at nomination but you need her address.

Anne Diamond is a hero of mine.

The Dr that confusedbeetle references, has said that without AD and her campaign it would have taken years longer for his research and campaigning to be taken seriously. How many more families would have been bereaved in that time?

She single-handedly raised the profile of the issue here in the UK. She was the "face" of the campaign and someone that all mums could relate to. People listened to her because they knew she'd lost her son to cot death. Totally agree that it's very surprising that she hasn't been recognised for her efforts.

Agree completely but possibly she has been nominated previously and refused it as she was on Sky News doing her morning paper review slot a few weeks ago when an item came up about the system. She was adamant that she would turn a gong down if nominated for it because she doesn't agree with the Honours system.

@Elementally, it’s becausd you don’t know what the previous mattress has been exposed to such as passive smoking or environmental damage. Or how damaged any air pockets may be. It’s just a catch all piece of safety advice.

Im pretty sure she got a lot of recognition at the time?

I think the pp who posted the damage she'd done/ the hindrance she'd caused over one area she suggested, is misguided. Because she did a lot of good in like at least 10 or 12 other areas.

I had no idea that Anne Diamond did this and reading about her losing Sebastian has made me sob. I agree that she needs to be recognised.