Wednesday, December 15, 2010

A letter to the editor of OK! Magazine

To whom it may concern,

This afternoon (Dec. 15th, 2010) I was standing in the line with my groceries when I noticed the headline "Kendra Loses Her Baby!" complete with the subtitle "Tragic news!"  With tears springing to my eyes I opened the pages to find out how far along in her pregnancy she was, and if they knew why the baby died.  I was horrified to find out that she hadn't been pregnant and that her living son was alive and well, and all that had happened was that she sent him to live with is father.  I admit I was livid.

On May 1st, 2006, I was 38 weeks and 1 day pregnant with my first child, a daughter to be named Cora Rei.  I had an ultrasound that day and my doctor told me that her heart was no longer beating.  I was induced the next morning and I gave birth to her lifeless body which I later handed the director of a funeral home and I never saw her again.  I have 3 pictures.  I lost my baby.

I asked those standing around me in line (the store was very busy) and every one of them said that they'd assumed that she was pregnant again and had miscarried.  I do not believe that this is some misunderstanding because the phrase "to lose" someone is commonly used to signify the death of the person in question.  This is an egregious misrepresentation of the truth that is at best disgusting, and at worst an unfeeling mockery of the pain of hundreds of thousands of grieving women who actually have lost their child(ren).  It should be acknowledged and corrected.

You should be ashamed of yourselves.

With ire,
Brittanie Cannady

5 comments:

  1. You Go Brittanie. I'm very glad I didn't see that as I would probably break down crying when I realized what a play on emotions that is

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  2. They absolutely knew what they were doing when they worded it that way.

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  3. I completely agree, Brittanie. Anyone--not just those with angel babies--would have thought the same thing. I know I did when I saw the headline last night at the store. I don't know who "Kendra" is, but I thought, "Oh, how sad for her!"

    So, yes: Totally manipulative. And lame as can be.

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  4. I saw the headline also and though I had no idea who Kendra was, I thought she had miscarried. I had no idea her child was just sent away. That makes me angry too

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  5. I agree! I never saw trhis headline but I always see headlines on OK magazine that are completely missleading! That is terrible.

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