Holly Willougby couldn’t hold back the tears as she heard the tragic story of how a mother lost her son on Wednesday’s (5 July) ‘This Morning’.
The presenter had an emotional response during a viewer phone-in, where callers shared their experiences of making unthinkable decisions about their children’s health care, in light of the debate over the treatment of seriously ill infant Charlie Gard.
One caller, by the name of Angela, told of how she was forced to watch her disabled son suffer in agony, when doctors kept him alive against her wishes.
She explained that due to his condition, she had placed a Do Not Resuscitate order on him if he ever took ill.
However, when he contracted a blood infection at the age of 16, medics ignored the order and treated him, causing him to have a cardiac arrest shortly before he died.
Speaking of how it robbed her of the chance to be with her son as he slipped away, Angela said: “I know if he had been conscious, he’d have wanted his mum.
“Our little boy died in the most horrendous, undignified death I have ever seen in my life, and I have to live with that every day now.”
Agony aunt Deidre Sanders and resident doctor Ranj Singh also appeared emotional, while co-presenter Phillip Schofield held his head in his hands as Angela spoke.
“I’m so sorry,” an inconsolable Holly told her.
As an emotional Deidre told her about an organisation, the Compassionate Friends, who would be able to help, Phillip then cut to an early commercial break, so the team could regain their composure.
‘This Morning’ airs weekdays at 10.30am on ITV.