Islington News: Victoria Wislon to meet Gordon Brown

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Islington Tribune - by PETER GRUNER
Published: 28 March 2008

Victoria with mum Jean, who says: ‘She’s very happy’

Victoria the courageous to meet PM

She communicates by raising her eyebrows... and still charms everyone

A SEVERLEY disabled woman whose only means of communication is by raising her eyebrows is to meet Prime Minister Gordon Brown as part of a celebration of her remarkable life.
It is expected that like everyone else – including recently the Countess of Wessex, patron of charity Mencap – Mr Brown will be captivated by Victoria Willson’s bubbly charm when they meet at a date still to be decided.
Wheelchair-user Victoria, 37, is almost totally immobile and has severe physical and learning disabilities.
Although needing 24-hour supervised care, she is able to live independently in a specially converted home on the Priory Green Peabody estate at King’s Cross.
Her extraordinary story – and the courage of the Willson family – is being recognised in a documentary film being made with government money to highlight the positive achievements of disabled people.
But it has been a huge struggle for the Willson family since Victoria was born with a condition called tuberous sclerosis, which causes growths on the brain.
Her mother Jean, a social worker from Cornelia Street, Barnsbury, has written a book, Home at Last, about life with Victoria. Mrs Willson said: “She was a lot of hard work as a child. It was pretty grim because there was no help.
“Victoria screamed a lot and also had two potentially life-threatening conditions – epilepsy and kidney problems.”
Mrs Willson said her biggest battle was against the medical authorities. “They could have put her into a nursing home for the rest of her life but I didn’t want that,” she said. “I believe Victoria is entitled to as full a life as anyone else.”
Seventeen years ago the then Labour-controlled Islington Council agreed to an “experiment” by allowing Victoria and another severely disabled woman to move into a converted bungalow on the Priory Green estate. The two women are cared for on a 24-hour basis by two live-in female care workers. Mrs Willson said: “It would be cheaper to put the women in a home. But they would have no quality of life.
“Victoria is able to go to the pub with her carer and have a beer. She leads a full life within the confines of her condition. She’s very happy.”

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