Camden New Journal - News: Shot student's words inspire mum's tribute

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Camden New Journal - by SUNITA RAPPAI
Published: 19 April 2007

Actor Alan Rickman with Jocelyn Hurndall

Shot student’s words inspire mum’s tribute

FOUR years to the day after Tufnell Park student Tom Hurndall was shot in the head in Israeli-occupied Gaza, a book by his mother commemorating his life was launched at the House of Commons last Wednesday.
Defy the Stars is former teacher Jocelyn Hurndall’s moving account of the life and death of her 22-year-old son – a photojournalism student shot as he carried a Palestinian child out of range of an Israeli army sniper in the town of Rafah.
Severely wounded, Tom never regained consciousness and died nine months later at the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability in Putney. Two years ago, the Hurndalls made legal history when they brought the Israeli defence force to account for its killing of an unarmed civilian.
The packed launch was attended by many of Tom’s school friends as well as family supporters, including actor Alan Rickman.
Ms Hurndall paid tribute to the “vast array of people” who had helped her write the book. Recalling the day her son was shot, she said: “From that moment, there began a journey which became as complicated as it was painful.
“It has been an invaluable emotional journey. It’s touched the deepest part of me and that’s been frightening but the belief that it would be ultimately strengthening is what propelled me.”
And she said that it was Tom’s own words that had been at the front of her mind as she wrote the book. Reading from his journals, she quoted: ‘What do I want from this life? What makes me happy isn’t enough… I want to be proud. I want something more. I want to look up to myself and when I die I want to be smiling about the things I’ve done, not crying for the things I haven’t.”

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