Let's Lie to a Kid with Cancer AND Down-Syndrome

Asteroid-Man

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Not sure if I'm happier for the thought, or angrier with the dishonesty...
Dame Helen Mirren brought some joy to a 10-year-old boy with Down syndrome by dressing up as the Queen and having him 'round for tea.
Oliver Burton, who is facing a tough battle with cancer, told his parents he really wanted to visit Buckingham Palace and meet the Queen.
The National Children's Tumour Leukemia Cancer Trust wrote to the Queen asking her to meet with Oliver, but she said she "could not meet with everyone who asked for a royal appointment" according to The Daily Mail.
So, the charity reached out to Dame Helen Mirren instead. The actress portrayed 'The Queen' in the 2006 film, and she's currently playing the role again in a production of 'The Audience' in London.
Mirren arranged for a limo to bring Oliver and his mother Catherine Browne to a performance, and invited them backstage afterwards.

Mirren and Burton backstage (Photo: SWSN.com/Jane Burton)
During the visit, she stayed in costume and in character, introducing Oliver to her corgi dogs and knighting him "Sir Oliver." She even had a "butler" on hand.
Mirren gave him her seat while she sat in Oliver's wheelchair, as they shared a glass of pop and some sandwiches.
No surprise, her performance was bang on.
"She stayed in character for the whole thing," said his father, James Browne. "Oliver thought she was the real Queen, and well, that's good enough for us. She was really lovely."
Oliver, who was born with Down syndrome, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2006, when he was three. Since then, doctors have twice told his parents he had only hours to live, but he's defied the odds.
Earlier this month though, doctors informed his parents that Oliver's latest cancer relapse can't be cured and he might have only weeks or months left.
"It is just waiting now. Oliver doesn't follow a rule book with these things and just keeps proving everyone wrong," his father said. "We are just waiting. We are all over the place really, we don't know what is going on yet."
http://www.cbc.ca/strombo/alt-news/...lls-a-dying-boys-wish-tea-with-the-queen.html
 
I really don't see a problem with this. Helen Mirren should be applauded for doing this. She didn't have to, but she wanted to give the kid and his family a fun night during this extremely dark period. What's the alternative, that his parents tell the dying kid the Queen couldn't be buggered to meet him? Lying is not always a bad thing, especially if it makes people feel better and has no damaging future consequences. It's a shame the real Queen can't spare half an hour to visit a dying kid though. That's where the outrage should be directed.
 
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Screw the Queen, he got to meet Hellen Mirren.
 
I agree with JJJ's Ulcer (what a strange thing to type)

Lying itself is not bad, it's what you are lying about that is the moral quandary. In this case, you brought a child joy in his dying months. I say their conscience should be clear.
 
Helen Mirren is better than the real Queen. :oldrazz: I see no problem with this. As JJ said, no damaging future consequences.
 
Why couldn't they just say - this is Helen Mirren - she's an actress who plays the Queen.
 
Because the damn kid was dying and he wanted to meet the damn Queen, not an actress portraying her. Why is this such a huge deal for you? Everyone handled this as well as they could, except the real Queen of course. When Ron Perlman visited dying kids as Hellboy, should he have explained "actually kid, I'm just an actor PLAYING Hellboy, because Hellboy isn't real and it's important for you to know this...." Jeez, just be happy the family got to have one good night in an otherwise awful time in their lives.
 
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That's different. The Queen is a real person. Hellboy and Batman aren't.
 
Asteroid-Man, usually I like you, but today you're giving me fits of facepalm.
 
That's different. The Queen is a real person. Hellboy and Batman aren't.

The Queen, for whatever reason, couldnt meet the kid, so helen mirren stepped in and portrayed the person the kid wanted to meet. Its better he get to meet some he feels is the queen rather be disappointed in hearing that no, the queen cant be bothered to meet you.

It really isn't a hard concept to understand. I mean at all. In the slightest. Just not difficult.
 
Maybe it's time we all we stopped trying to outsmart the truth and let it have it's day!!

I'm playing devil's advocate. :p
 
It's fine @Asteroid-Man. All kinds of news articles get their own threads. And how interesting would the title have been if it had just said "Kid with Cancer AND Down-Syndrome gets his dying wish"

:yawn:
 
The truth is often depressing.
 
Maybe it's time we all we stopped trying to outsmart the truth and let it have it's day!!

I'm playing devil's advocate. :p
There's a time and place for it. To lie about someone's health to their face, that's bad. For a parent to be brutally honest and tell one child that they prefer their sibling, that's bad too. The truth isn't always the best agenda. Depends on how you use it.

I have a rule that I live my life by. Don't f*** up people. Sometimes by lying, you're only postponing the f***ing up. Then it's better to be honest right away. But if the truth would f*** them up no matter what, then keep it to yourself.
 
Man, what kind of queen denies a dying 10-year old boy's fairly simple wish? She couldn't have scheduled him in? Really?

Stay classy, your majesty.
 
It's fine @Asteroid-Man. All kinds of news articles get their own threads. And how interesting would the title have been if it had just said "Kid with Cancer AND Down-Syndrome gets his dying wish"

:yawn:

The article he links to about it at least put it nicer - Helen Mirren Fulfills A Dying Boy's Wish: Tea With The Queen
 
I do see the moral quandary here.

I don't personally agree with it, but I appreciate the sentiment behind what they did.
 
I think we all know it's cooler to have met Helen Mirren than the real Queen anyway.
 
I don't see the issue here.

A slight deception to make a dying kid who doesn't know the difference anyway happy and fulfill his wish.

The real Queen was unable or unwilling to make time for him, so Helen Mirren IMO stepped in graciously.

There are times when being brutally honest isn't the right call.
 
The article he links to about it at least put it nicer - Helen Mirren Fulfills A Dying Boy's Wish: Tea With The Queen
Yeah, I was about to just post that but then I thought this title was a bit funnier.
 
He's terminal, so it won't be of any consequence in the end.
 
Maybe it's time we all we stopped trying to outsmart the truth and let it have it's day!!

I'm playing devil's advocate. :p

Interestingly enough, that comes from a movie in which everyone angsts about lying and then still lies in the end (faking their death, quitting being a cop to work outside the law, etc.)

So the point might not work there.
 

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