I Support The Beautiful & Bald "Unforgettable Barbie" !

The Beautiful & Bald Barbie is in the news today!

The Facebook Community page Beautiful & Bald Barbie let's see if we can get her made was insulted today by a blogger on a highly visited website. I completely support the making of Bald & Beautiful Barbie and that is why I feel I need to post this tonight.

The author of the insulting post is not taking responsibility for her writings and that in itself is even more insulting. I am going to add the links to the post and blog as well as the Facebook Community page along with some of the comments for you to read for yourself. 

As a blogger I am offended by the author as well, she does not hold up the integrity and ethics of blogging which is a responsibility we bloggers assume when we choose to post about certain, serious topics such as Cancer and Chronic Illness.

I would personally like to apologize on behalf of the bloggers who do take the time to research the facts and post responsibly as well as morally and ethically correct blog postings.


Beautiful & Bald Barbie Facebook Community:
http://www.facebook.com/BeautifulandBaldBarbie

Update on the "10 Craziest Barbies Ever" blog article on Baby Center...the writer changed the title to "10 Barbies You Will Never Forget" and posted this at the end of the article..." I just wanted to say that I in no way meant to offend anybody with this post’s previous title. When I said “crazy,” I meant it as meaning the dolls were unique and out of the ordinary. I have a niece who suffers from alopecia, I would never want to exclude her from having a doll made that looks like her. I’ve removed the “crazy” from the post."

Unfortunately she seems too proud to actually apologize nor does she correct the implication that a Beautiful and Bald Barbie is the only one listed that is only a concept and not an actual marketed and produced Barbie. Unforgettable? I sure hope that is true IF Barbie really makes her. Let's hope she WILL BECOME an "unforgettable Barbie" in reality. ~ Jane

Babycenter.com blog posting today:  http://blogs.babycenter.com/mom_stories/3162012-10-of-the-craziest-barbie-dolls-ever/comment-page-4/#comment-14504345 

I just wanted to say that I in no way meant to offend anybody with this post’s previous title. When I said “crazy,” I meant it as meaning the dolls were unique and out of the ordinary. I have a niece who suffers from alopecia, I would never want to exclude her from having a doll made that looks like her. I’ve removed the “crazy” from the post.

If you would like more information on how you can support those families battling cancer or disabilities, please see these groups in BabyCenter’s community:

Childhood Cancer Support
Survivor Mommies
Moms With Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer Awareness
Children With Disabilities
Children With Cerebral Palsy
Children and Babies With Global Developmental Delay

Thanks for reading. Denise

Denise Cortes says:
March 16, 2012 at 6:15 pm

When I first saw the comments pouring in, my response was wow, chill out guys. I was confused as to why there would be such a backlash about a slideshow about *10 of the craziest Barbie dolls ever* when I never said a bald Barbie was ridiculous or sad or weird or wrong. Or made! I know the backstory. Yes, poor choice or words, I’ll admit. But I truly meant crazy as in out of the ordinary and different. I did not mean to slam the concept at all. I feel bad that people think I am some a-hole who has a problem with cancer survivors and/or handicapped people, which couldn’t be further from the truth. I can understand a person’s passion on the subject, but honestly, I didn’t mean to work everyone up.

Well, I had to voice my opinion as well and leave a comment for the author which I did over an hour ago and they are still waiting for approval to be published on the blogs comments with the previous 184 comments today.

Angie says:

Your comment is awaiting moderation.

March 16, 2012 at 10:01 pm

As a blogger I can say if you were going for hits on your post and/or blog, you got them! Unfortunately you got only negative hits and obviously they will not be returning to your blog, so congrats on your spike for today but plan on seeing it drop seriously within days if not hours.

How could you have gotten such an important fact WRONG? If you honestly believed what you were writing about than you need to rethink your hobby. The blogging world is not a game and it is people like you that make a bad name for the rest of us.

Bloggers are powerful tools for causes that need the power of the internet to raise awareness for their cause to help bring in funding and support that is much needed to find the cure for their cause.

What you posted today was not only ignorant on your part but could have caused some serious set backs on the negotiations for the production of the Bald and Beautiful Barbie but also may have confused some readers who do not have access to all the information.

I am sorry if I am being rude to you but you have a responsibility to your readers and other bloggers to blog facts and truth especially if you are discussing such serious topics as this.

I would suggest you write a new posting and fix what you have done, I am not going to tell you exactly what that will involve because I think you need to figure that out so at least you can learn something from this and prevent such stupid postings in the future!

Angie says:

Your comment is awaiting moderation.

March 16, 2012 at 10:22 pm

Well I guess I spoke too soon, I actually did not expect you to comment on your own blog post so I did not read every single one. As I was looking over them again I came across your comment as quoted below.

All I can say is I am shocked that you would post what you blogged today, but your comment is completely out of line. You act as if you are the victim here. You are not capable of feeling what the people who commented are feeling.

You need to seriously think before you blog, your vocabulary needs some fine tuning as well as your manors. You should be begging for forgiveness but instead you are insulting even more.

Consider stepping down as a blogger, you represent a huge organization and if you are a responsible person you will do them the favor of leaving.

I do hope that this does not interfere with the talks between Mattel and the Facebook Community and the barbie is produced very soon. I posted this tonight to sum up today's events and maybe it will help in some way even if it just clears up some of the confusion. Thank you for supporting the cause!

There will never be another year in America like 1968.

"It's not your right to refuse that order, and you go out there and do it because you're ordered to." 

That was how a soldier explained his actions to the Peers Commission for what would become probably one of the most infamous events of the Vietnam War,The My Lai tragedy took place on March 16th 1968.

At this time I must say, I have read several news articles that covered the events that occured on March 16th in My Lai and have found there are many different accounts of that incident. I can not personally give an opinion on what and how this happened or how the final court cases ended. I can say that the Vietnam War was a unique war and our country learned so much from that war that also is one of the most significant wars in history to change our whole government and the way we fight wars today. In addition the US is a free country and we have rights and freedoms we take for granted every day, but if it were not for our Vietnam Veterans we would not be living the american dream and have the right to report and voice our opinions on incidents such as My Lai as we can now.

Unless you have been put in that position to do what you are ordered to do by a commanding officer, you cannot judge the ones who were. As far as I am concerned the men and women who fought for our country in the Vietnam War are hero's and always will be. They went to do what they were ordered to do and they did not ask why, they fought for our country and we must continue to fight for them today. 

Here is the My Lai incident as told by a few different sources, I tried to find as many unbiased reporters as I could to be able to publish the truth of the story and have the facts told.

THIS WOULD BE THE FINAL OUTCOME: The cases were tried in military courts with juries of Army officers, which eventually dropped the charges against all of the defendants (except Calley) or acquitted them. Medina and the others who were among the killing soldiers that day went free, and only Calley was convicted of the murders of “at least 20 civilians.” Nobody was convicted of the murders of the other 400+ villagers. Calley was sentenced to life imprisonment for his crime, but, under pressure from patriotic pro-war Americans, President Nixon pardoned him within weeks of the verdict.

WHAT LED UP TO THESE TRIALS IS AS FOLLOWS: There will never be another year in America like 1968. Why that year became one of the most tumultuous periods in our history will probably never be known. It began on an ominous note when one of America’s most fervent enemies, North Korea, seized a U.S. Navy intelligence ship, named the U. S. S. Pueblo, in the Sea of Japan on January 23. They held the ship and its crew for many months and nearly started a full-scale war. In Vietnam, the massive Tet Offensive, launched by the Viet Cong against almost every major city in the south, caused massive casualties on all sides.

The assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King touched off numerous riots in dozens of American cities. Two months later, the brother of a murdered President, Senator Robert Kennedy, was assassinated in Los Angeles at the hands of an Arab fanatic. Colleges across the country were enveloped in a wave of protest and violence over the Vietnam War, which was killing hundreds of young Americans every week.

In August, the Democratic Presidential Convention in Chicago was wrecked by thousands of young people who fought the Chicago police on live TV, symbolizing the anguish of a divided nation. Richard Nixon was elected President in November and man made his first tenuous step into eternity as Apollo 10 astronauts said Christmas prayers from the dark side of the Moon. It seemed as if anything could happen that year, and then, there was My Lai.

IN FEBRUARY AND MARCH OF 1968 Charlie Company, of the 1st Battalion, 11th Brigade, suffered severe losses as a result of these traps. In one instance, while patrolling near Son My, the company stumbled upon a heavily laid minefield. As the explosions went off among them, the men tried to push forward. It was the worst thing they could have done. More explosions ripped through the helpless soldiers. Broken and severed limbs were everywhere. When it was over, 15 men were killed and wounded. By the time early March rolled around, Charlie Company had suffered 28 casualties and had yet to actually see any Viet Cong. They were seething with an anger and hatred for an enemy that, to them, was mostly invisible.

ON THE NIGHT OF MARCH 15, 1968, the men and commanders of Charlie Company gathered outside Captain Medina's "hooch". That very day, the company had a memorial service for Sgt. George Cox, a popular N.C.O. who was killed by a booby trap while on patrol near QL-1 the day before. The men were demoralized, angry and frustrated with an enemy that so far, had gotten the best of them.

Captain Medina briefed the company on the next day's assault on My Lai. What was said at this meeting and exactly what the orders were concerning the mission has remained in dispute. Some of those at the meeting say that Medina gave direct orders to kill all the civilians. "He (Medina) stated that My Lai #4 was a suspected VC stronghold and that he had orders to kill everybody that was in the village," testified Spec. 4 Max Hutson of the 2nd Platoon . Others disagreed. Pfc. Gregory Olsen remembered the briefing differently and testified to the Army C.I.D.: "Captain Medina would never have given an order to kill women and children." Whatever was said, and it is impossible to determine exactly what orders were issued, the men of Charlie Company saw the next day's mission as an opportunity to pay back the Viet Cong for their booby traps, their mine fields and the blood of the 11th Brigade.

THE EARLY MORNING OF MARCH 16, 1968 in Southern Quang Ngai was calm and cool. The men of the 1st Platoon made their final check on ammunition and supplies. They quickly boarded the waiting aircraft, filled with the expectation that the company may be "getting even" with an enemy that was mostly unseen, mysterious and hated.

BY THE AFTERNOON OF MARCH 16, 1968, while the operation was still in progress, 11th Brigade headquarters at Duc Pho knew that something drastic had happened at My Lai 4. In the following days, officers of the Americal Division met several times at Chu Lai to discuss the operation. Although inquiries were made about the 1st Battalion, 20th Infantry, no disciplinary action was taken.

ONLY ONE PERSON HAD PROOF OF WHAT HAPPENED ON MARCH 16, 1968. Only one man had the irrefutable evidence of the day's events at My Lai. That man was Ron Haeberle, an Army photographer. Ron Ridenhour, 21, arrived in Vietnam in January of 1968 and was assigned to the aviation branch of the 11th Infantry Brigade at Chu Lai. During that year, he became friends with the "grunts" (infantry foot soldiers) and often drank with the men on their off time in the clubs on the base. Ridenhour also was a member of a special unit called Long Range Reconnaissance Patrols (LRPS). Although he did not participate in the attack on My Lai, Ridenhour heard stories about what happened on March 16, including vivid descriptions of the killing. Over the next few months, the stories he heard originated from so many different sources, Ridenhour realized there must be some truth to them. When he returned to the United States after his tour of duty, he sat down in his home in Phoenix, Arizona and composed a letter that described his fears.

OVER THE SUMMER OF 1969, the Army conducted an investigation into the actions of the 1st Battalion at My Lai. Headed by a no-nonsense Army officer, Colonel William Wilson, the inquiry involved the first face-to-face interviews with the soldiers who were actually there on March 16, 1968. Colonel Wilson was a North Carolina native, a highly decorated Green Beret and combat veteran of World War II. He received a Purple Heart for war wounds and served in many combat zones throughout the years including the Congo in 1965. Among Army personnel, he was highly respected and regarded as a "soldier's soldier". He conducted his interviews in full uniform wearing a chest full of medals so that the young soldiers would feel that he was one of them, an infantryman who knew the devastating pressures of close up war.

IN AUGUST OF 1969, President Richard Nixon, on vacation in San Clemente, was told that Lt. William Calley and others would soon be charged with mass murder for the hundreds of killings at My Lai. Politically, it was a catastrophe for the Nixon White House. America was bitterly divided over the Vietnam War, Nixon was trying to drum up support for his policies and stifle the dissent at home. He also felt that the North Vietnamese would never fully negotiate if they knew that the American people were divided over the fate of the war.

"It is clear that something hideous happened at My Lai...I fear and dread what this will do to our society unless we try to understand it...For it is America that is being judged. And America will be condemned, unless we undertake some larger effort than can be had from a court martial."  President Richard Nixon.

ON DECEMBER 5, 1969, Life magazine ran Haeberle's photos of what took place in My Lai. There, for the world to see, in bright unforgiving color showed something beyond anything America had ever seen before, had happened in My Lai.

ON MARCH 29, 1971, after the longest court martial in American history and thirteen days of deliberations, Lt. William Calley was found guilty of the murder of at least twenty-two Vietnamese civilians. Calley, then 27, stood erect as he heard the verdict. He saluted the jury foreman, Colonel Clifford Ford, and returned to his seat at the defense table. His attorney, George Latimer, told the press: "It was a horrendous decision for the United States, the United States Army and for my client. Take my word for it, the boy is crushed."

To read the entire story please go to this link:  http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/mass/lai/index_1.html 

Hope Is Given By Jacob With His Smile!

Jacob's Journey hurts but he continues to smile through it all!
Updates from Jacob Hill's Grandmother today bring a flood of emotions. Today I find myself feeling many different feelings as I read Jacob's Grandmother's words from her updates she has tried so hard to keep up with for all of his very caring and supportive friends and family. These feelings are so hard to write and be able to express just how strong they are, from Hope and Relief to Sadness and Hurt, but then one little smile from this very strong and brave boy takes all those emotions and pulls them together and inspiration takes over and you just know he is going to get through these sessions and be perfectly healthy and happy!

I still feel the same as I felt the first time I wrote about Jacob and that is that I can not even begin to know what he and his family are going through and I would not try to express those emotions, I am going to let his Grandmother tell his story in her words with her updates as only a Grandmother can tell them.

Jacob's Journey, updates by his Grandmother Lynda Pray Phelps:
Jacob update - Shannon and Jacob had a pretty rough day and are pretty worn out so here's all the details I know. Jacob developed a deep dry cough this past week. Most likely a side effect of the HU3F8. After being heavily sedated and the infusion started, Jacob began to cough uncontrollably. They were working to get the coughing under control so that he could breathe and his heart rate went over 200. He couldn't talk and tell them about the pain, because he couldn't stop coughing so they had to guess that it was the pain causing the rapid heart rate and gave him dilaudid. They used up the limit on the benedryl and codeine cough medicine and finally after the infusion he was able to rest a little. Since this is a new treatment, they weren't sure what the side effects would be - Coughing apparently is one of them. Round 2 down - 22 more to go ! Just sitting at home waiting on news from Shannon about Jacob. The second infusion is about to start. She said he is still having leg pain from last week and he has a deep cough that I can hear in the background.

Last night, I was sitting and thinking about when this all started. Just an ordinary day until I got a call from Shannon saying that Jacob said his tummy hurt and she found a lump. A few hours later our lives would change forever when at Children's Hospital a doctor comes into the room and says that the CT showed tumors that were likely neuroblastoma. Neuroblastoma? What is it - Cancer? No No - it couldn't be cancer - Not one my grandkids - Not healthy, happy, sweet little Jacob who loves dinosaurs and robots. Cancer is something that other people's grandkids get - People you just read about, not anyone you know and certainly not that little boy you love so much. Suddenly we found ourselves looking up medical terms and searching treatment options and knowing that life would never be ordinary again.

Fast forward 18 months. You see your daughter going through a hell that nobody deserves. You find yourselves standing countless days by the bedside of a very very sick little boy. You watch helplessly as he recoveries from more major surgeries in one year than most people have in a lifetime. You find yourself almost wishing it was a cancer that had better odds and less lethal treatments - you're willing to trade neuroblastoma for another cancer if it will only give him a better chance with less pain. And you meet people who share your story - a grandmother from New Jersey with a little granddaughter with sarcoma - still fighting bravely. A little girl with leukemia named Penelope who liked to play with Jacob in the playroom and had a baby brother during her treatment. - Grandparent's of 5 year old Dylan who shared Jacob's first room at Sloan in NYC.  He had just been diagnosed with ALL leukemia - There was a lot of brave talk about how they were gonna "kick cancer's butt" - Yeah - I said those words too. We are both a little more humble now.

Cherish the ordinary - never ever take ordinary for granted.

If you would like to follow Jacob's Journey you can by visiting his Facebook page at:  http://www.facebook.com/JacobHillsJourney?ref=ts 

Please visit his blog for many more photos and updates at:  http://www.jacobhillsjourney.blogspot.com/ 

Prayers For Emma!

Little Emma was diagnosed with Fanconi anemia at the age of 3.

Please visit and "like" Emma's Facebook page that was created in an effort to reach out to the community and pray for a special Little Girl, Emma. She is battling Fanconi Anemia. You can show your support and caring for Emma by becoming her new friend on Facebook, she would enjoy your friendship

. 

Visit Emma's Facebook Page:

http://www.facebook.com/prayersforemma?sk=info 

Little Emma was diagnosed with Fanconi anemia at the age of 3. Fanconi anemia is a rare bone marrow disease that leads to many cancers and life threatening health problems. So far Emma has stayed cancer free, but this warrior has been through so much. She has had countless rounds of chemotherapy, bone marrow aspirations, a bone marrow transplant, and very long hospital stays. And her fight still isn’t over. Fanconi anemia doesn’t have a cure yet and is very low on funds for research. She is now 7 years old and making amazing strides every day. She just got back from a wonderful make a wish trip to Disney and is not letting this horrible monster get in her way of just being a kid. Emma is a Fanconi Anemia warrior, and every day I pray that one day she will become a Fanconi anemia survivor.

Emma loves receiving letters! Just knowing others care about her will give her a peace of mind right now. 

Also, please remember she has a very jealous 3 year old brother Dalton, who would love to receive letters too! Dalton often feels left out in the craziness of Emma's sickness.

She loves hello kitty, so feel free to include that in the letter! Please include your address, Emma and Dalton would love to write back.

Here's the address:

Emma Routh or Dalton Routh
11176 Country Road 4345
Larue Tx. 75770

Email:

prayemma@gmail.com

Visit Emma at The CaringBridge.com:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/emmarouth1/mystory