So NOT the same thing!!

Brittanie · #1 December 15th, 2010, 03:54 PM

I posted this on my blog (a letter that I sent to the editors of OK! Magazine and the group the magazine is a part of)
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

I was so upset by it that as I was putting my groceries on the conveyor belt I hit my hand on the metal gum rack and massacred my finger. Luckily the cashier had a bandaid.

Shadeauxe · #2 December 15th, 2010, 04:11 PM

Yeah, it's sick what length they will go to to get sales.

SillyKitty · #3 December 15th, 2010, 04:30 PM

I saw that at the store, too, and just assumed they were referring to a miscarriage. Sick.

ldovey83 · #4 December 15th, 2010, 04:32 PM

I thought she was pregnant.. I saw another magizine that said she was pregnant again and hoping for a girl.. SO when i saw that I assumed she lost the baby too.. I didnt read the actual article.. I totally agree with you if that is what the article was about.. They definitely need to correct that... LEt me know if they write you back I am curious as to what they have to say. HUGS

ohnicole · #5 December 15th, 2010, 04:57 PM

I saw that cover, too, and thought she had a miscarriage. Definitely misleading. Your letter is really strong and brave. I hope that someone at the magazine takes notice.

Brittanie · #6 December 15th, 2010, 05:01 PM

Even if they don't, I feel a whole ton better having sent it. But after what Lindsey said I'm wondering if I should have read further (but the first several paragraphs and the inset quotes were all about her being upset she was missing day-to-day stuff with her son, and I'm assuming if she really *had* miscarried it would have been obvious, right?)

luvmykids623 · #7 December 15th, 2010, 05:09 PM

The radio show that I listen to in the morning was talking about this on my way to work yesterday. The show is 4 men and 1 woman, and 2 of the men saw it over the weekend and that's why they brought it up as a hot topic. They were talking about how they thought that either she had been pregnant and lost the baby or something had happened to her living child. It is absolutely despicable that they thought this was an appropriate use of a headline.

TnPhotoMama81 · #8 December 15th, 2010, 07:18 PM

Good for you for writing that letter. I think it is appauling/disgusting...I am sure they did it just to get sales.

Im.Nayomi · #9 December 16th, 2010, 01:01 AM

Brittanie

I loved the letter that you wrote to Ok Magezine and had seen that article myself yesterday at a glance and thought something had happend to her son. Thank goodness it was only that he is with the dad....which honestly that is no one's buisness and kind of i think not smart for the world to know where her baby is.... (in my opinion)
but I have a feeling that Kendra sold her story to Ok (just a guess)
but I hope they do not do that again. Ok being misleading can draw the wrong attention and do just the opposite of what they were trying to do.

You Are My HeroEtte of the day.

avasmom603 · #10 December 16th, 2010, 03:31 AM

Good for you for being proactive and sending that letter! i certainly hope they answer you and provide some sort of explanation and most of all, an apology. I will never buy their magazine now!

yellowbird · #11 December 16th, 2010, 09:30 AM

Your letter is so powerful and true. How do these people sleep at night? With the money they earned posting offensive and misleading headlines, I'm sure.

*SamF* · #12 December 16th, 2010, 09:46 AM

I saw the magazine and thought she had been pregnant as well. I even commented to DH how horrible it is to have to go through something so painful and have it splashed all over the place.

Glad you wrote them!!!

purplelady · #13 December 16th, 2010, 11:52 AM

it truly amazes me the lengths papers and mags will go to to get sales. i had to write a nasty letter to the editor of our county paper when after the police gunned down my fil, they posted a pic of the blood socked hallway on the front page and then called him deranged. the poor man had a diabetic induced coma, while all alone in his apartment and when he came to he had hallucinations and fired his gun in his apartment. after a three hour stand off they used an ar15 to take down a 125lbs (soaking wet) sick diabetic man stating that the non lethal bean bag gun had failed to take him down. i think that placing the bean bag shooter at the long end of the hall and the sharp shooter at the short end was why the bean bag gun didnt work, to long of a distance.
so i say

let them know how much it angers you.

Erin84 · #14 December 16th, 2010, 02:00 PM

That's disgusting. I didn't see the magazine, but when I read where you said "Lost her baby," I thought the same thing you did -- miscarriage. I was so sad for her for a few seconds, until I kept reading and saw your clarification. Stupid nasty magazine. You know they did that just so people would say, "What? I didn't even know she was pregnant!" Then pick it up and read the article. For most it would probably be like, "Whew! Good, I was wrong!" But for those who HAVE lost a baby, what an awful headline to see... I'm glad you wrote them, and I hope they have a "Letters to the Editor" section or something where they print your response, or at least one like it. I'm sure you weren't the only one who wrote in with that sentiment. Disgusting.