Quadriplegic Author Angry At Being Associated With "Me Before You"

Francesco Clark, author of an autobiographical account of the future of tetraplegia, has joined the chorus of disabled activists who criticize the movie "Me before you", starring Emilia Clarke.

The author's book, "Walking Papers," describes his life following an accident in his early twenties, an accident that left him paralyzed from the neck down. The controversy started because this book is referenced in the film without the author's knowledge.

“They never asked me if my book could be included in the movie, nor did they ever tell me that it would be included. Although I understand that the film is based on a work of fiction, my book, and my life, it is not ”.

* From here you can find spoilers of the story *

"Me before you" has turned out to be a controversial topic due to the representation that they have considered disability as something that leads the quadriplegic to prefer to die rather than bear that burden. In the story, Lou, the protagonist played by Emilia Clarke, falls in love with Will, played by Sam Clafin, a disabled man whom she will have to take care of. Throughout history it is discovered that, before meeting, Will had decided that he wanted to die rather than live with that disability.. His decision was due to the fact that Will had previously been a free man who liked to explore danger but, after the accident, he was confined to a chair without being able to live all the adventures he had in mind, leading him to a solitary state. At the end of the story we meet Lou, who has inherited Will's wealth after the assisted suicide they were trying to avoid.

Francesco Clark, who is an ambassador for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, confessed to receiving multiple emails announcing the inclusion of his book in the film. Now he is ready to disassociate his work from the story behind "Me before you."

“I have worked tirelessly to show people that being a quadriplegic is not the end of your life, that it is just another beginning. Yes OK I do not want to take any position on the issue of assisted suicide, I feel compelled to express my anger for finding myself unknowingly associated with an argument that suggests that the only option for those who suffer injuries like mine is death. "

The film "Me Before You" has been released this week in the UK and It will premiere in Spain on July 1. In the UK it has already been dubbed a 'disability tobacco movie' by activists. This has been defended by its director, Thea Sharrock, who said the context had been "fundamentally misunderstood," and by Jojo Moyes, the best-selling author of the book on which the film is based.

"I feel like this shouldn't be used as a 'how-to' manual"

For my part, I read the book last year and at no point did I have the reaction that many have had. Although it is true that it proposes a solution that is not the best and that should not be taken by the rest of the disabled, it represents a solution that many could think of and makes it a reality. Although I am not in favor of euthanasia, I think that the book manages to convey the difficulty of the decision and of the family that surrounds the disabled person. I do not think it is a story focused on how to face disability, but if it had had another ending, the story would not have been so well known and it would not have managed to convey so much because it is the harshness of the ending that makes you reflect on how difficult it can be in Sometimes you choose between whether to continue with a life that you do not enjoy and only see your loved ones suffer or whether to end life and cause suffering that will be progressively mitigated. I don't think it's an easy answer, do you have it?