You pay your money, you take your chances! The shares were cheap...

You pay your money, you take your chances! The shares were cheap enough at the time. As a shareholder I am not a charity and options holders are nothing but parasites. When companies float on the market they are induced to pay brokers with some shares and options. They then flog the shares, depress the share price and hold the options to gamble with.
If you are silly enough to hold options within 12 months of expiry date you are gambling. Nothing ever happens as quickly as you want it too.
I would suggest that the option holders be offered participation in any future capital raising as a matter of courtesy, but nothing more than that.