Mum ‘disgusted’ after school criticised her seriously ill son’s attendance
'I was disgusted to receive it. Louie has just had a stem cell transplant and is lucky to be alive.'
A mum is furious after receiving a letter from her son’s school questioning his attendance – even though they know he is fighting a serious illness.
Vicky Tassari received the letter from Northfleet Technology College about her 13-year-old son Louie’s attendance.
The letter highlighted her son’s absences from school – despite staff knowing he is suffering with severe aplastic anaemia and had recently had a stem cell transplant.
Vicky, 35 and from Gravesend in Kent, said she was ‘disgusted’ to receive the letter when her son is ‘lucky to be alive’ following treatment from his serious illness.
She explained: ‘I have asked the school if there is anything we can do to help him catch up at home or if there is anything he should be doing when he’s at school to help bring him up to date.
‘I didn’t want him to stay at home. There is no one more worried about his attendance than me.
‘I wanted him to go back as soon as possible.’
Louie fell ill while on a family holiday in Montenegro last August. He missed almost all of year 8 after being diagnosed with aplastic anaemia, which is when the bone marrow stops producing enough red blood cells.
He had to undergo 30 blood transfusions and was forced to be isolated from friends and family due to his weakened immune system, sparking fears he wouldn’t be able to fight off any infections.
Louie lost about 30% of his body weight, spending months in and out of hospital, before eventually having to go through chemotherapy to rid his body of old blood cells.
He underwent the stem cell transplant following an excruciating wait for a donor.
After contacting the school, staff told Vicky there had been ‘an administrative error’ and the letter should have never been sent – but the mum was still fuming after speaking with the headteacher.
She said: ‘I was disgusted to receive it. Louie has just had a stem cell transplant and is lucky to be alive.’
Vicky also shared her frustration at the delay in her son being able to return to school for the beginning of year 9, as the school wasn’t prepared to accommodate his medical needs.
She claims she received a phone call the day before he was due to return, telling her Louie would not be able to come in as the school wasn’t ready.
She explained: ‘I was so angry. I had given them plenty of time.
‘Louie had been building up to this moment for months and was so looking forward to seeing his friends and getting back to some normality.
‘The beginning of a new school year was the ideal time for him to start back.
‘They were contributing to his poor attendance record and then have the front to send this letter.’
Northfleet Technology College has been contacted for comment.
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