Heartless Celebrity Snubs Kid With Cancer

I figured this was the right place to post this not sure if this would be alternative breaking news worthy or not, but more of a social issue. I found the article to be a bit appalling and disheartening. It is sad when someone cannot even find time in there schedule to visit with a sick kid who's only wish is to meet you.

Story

According to TMZ, Make-A-Wish approached Garten with Enzo's request last year. She replied that she couldn't make time to visit him, mainly because of a scheduled book tour. The group then urged Enzo — who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia three years ago — to make another wish. But he insisted on waiting until Garten became available. When Make-A-Wish tried once more to schedule a meeting between the two, Garten again rebuffed the overture, still pleading hectic demands on her schedule.



"I felt terrible for him, he has been unwavering in his desire to meet her for 3 years and despite many attempts to get him to pick a 2nd wish or change his mind he would not," Enzo's mother wrote on her blog. "Even yesterday when I told him the unfortunate news, his reply was simply 'why doesn't she want to meet me'?"

What this woman did to me is sad and pathetic. It shows that she is more worried about making money and promoting her show and book then she is about caring about her fans. I was also sickened by the fact that she basically only did it after being forced into a corner by Good Morning America's segment. If I was the kid I would probably no longer desire to meet this woman myself, but that is just me. The kid is obviously a fan.

I didn't see anything else on this, but I haven't had much luck on posts lately.

reply to post by Phantom28804


I disagree. The kid with cancer is sad, but why is it some stranger's responsibility to comply with the wish? In my opinion, the whole Make-a-Wish foundation is stupid. Why not put all that time, money, energy, and fame into actually making a difference instead of doing some photo-op and autograph session.

If my kid gets Cancer, and I get a hold of Michael Jordan or Lady GaGa, it will be for some research money, not for some stupid autograph.

I say Kudos for having the cahones to say no to a stupid request.

It's pretty messed up to guilt somebody into doing something they don't want to do. Especially so when thrown under the PR bus like that.

It's like rape.


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reply to post by getreadyalready

Except... her cajones dried up when she was faced with an image crisis...

But after the news of Enzo's thwarted wish broke across the Web, Garten has made a sudden about-face. She invited Enzo to meet with her on the set of her show.

reply to post by LadySkadi


Of course they did. Imagine the revenue that could be lost with a PR crash like that. I've heard some celebrities get from $5,000 to $30,000 to make an appearance at a wedding or birthday party, etc. So, it is much cheaper to lose a day flying somewhere, making nice, and flying home, even if the expense is $30,000 it is much cheaper than a PR crash.

On the other hand, if this was Lady GaGa, Charlie Sheen, Dennis Rodman, or some other "love to be bad" icon, the bad publicity might actually help their career!

In my opinion, it is slimy to make the request public in the first place. No harm in asking, but if they say no, then it should be slanderous and libel to use it as a ploy to blackmail them into coming anyway!

reply to post by getreadyalready


Yes, I can imagine the revenue consequences. That's the point. She said no. Twice. Then she changes her mind claiming she just recently became aware of the situation. Whatever. If her schedule is so demanding that she must say no twice, that's herr right. To change that because of some pressure *may show the public that herr schedule was not that demanding in the first place and time could have been made, she just didn't want to make it. Flip flopping is worse then making a decision and sticking with it, in these situations and she ends up looking like a schmuck x2, now.

reply to post by LadySkadi


Agreed.

Absolutely agreed.

Flipflopping is worse. For whatever reason, this is the way of the world of celebrities and politicians. Apologize, claim some affliction, and promise to do better. Spin control. That is why I admire the Dennis Rodman's and Charlie Sheen's of the celebrity world!

Not many people get a wish before dying, and I would be flattered if someones last wish was to meet me. I would have done what I could in order to get to take just a few minutes of my life to make a wish come true for a kid with something as unfortunate as cancer.

I feel that there is rarely a time to make a difference in someones life, even though his life has a small window, he still chose to meet her. I think it was brave of him, and frankly she should be ashamed not to have granted such a small wish.

Peace, NRE.

reply to post by Phantom28804


I can see how it would look that way but...
What if this gal is the super sensetive type?
Years back my wife was a convalescent nurse and i made her quit.
Yep gave her an ultimatum quit it or me, why?
Because i got tired of her coming home shattered that one of her patients had died.
I would ask "Well how old was Mr. Johnson"? she replied 94.....
She is just to empathetic to work in that area, i prolly wont make it to 94 or anywhere close and i'm cool with that, but for her it was earth shattering.
Maybe this woman is the same.
Just another view.

reply to post by getreadyalready


I actually was not looking at it from that perspective. I do agree with you that more effort could be put into finding a cure or finding ways to treat these patients.

That being said if my kid or your kid was dying of cancer and there was no chance for them to survive, and they made the statement all I want is to meet so and so before I die. I have a hard time believing that you or anyone else would not be upsetted or hurt if so and so declined. It may be there choice and I do not agree with the way this woman was brought around. (Though from my understanding of the article the news found the blog the mother didn't go to them with it.) I do feel that as a celebrity there is a certain expectation of loyalty to the fans.

I beg to differ on the subject of certain celebrities as I would not be so quick to say that someone like Charlie Sheen or Dennis Rodman would actually refuse to meet a kid that was dying.

I also have a hard time believing that even though you made the statment you did that you have not felt your heart warmed a bit when you see those little snippets on tv about what so and so has done for a dying child.

This is just my opinion obviously but I still think that the consideration should be there if it is at all possible to make the appearance. The Make A Wish Foundation is non-profit. It isn't like they are making money off these meetings in fact they are usually spending money.

In conclusion lets not forget that these celebrities have made there money off the people that support them by watching there shows, buying there books, products etc. So I think that should also play a role in what they choose to do.

whoa whoa

of all the people to meet?!!!!!!

HER?!

wtfnaw!




Seriously her?



so much hotter even in a trashcan.

reply to post by g146541


This I can sympathize with and I would agree with you on that. IT would still have been a nice gesture to just say send a card or maybe even make a phone call, but I do understand where you are coming from and I will admit that it didn't cross my mind on that one.

Originally posted by getreadyalready
reply to post by Phantom28804

 

I disagree. The kid with cancer is sad, but why is it some stranger's responsibility to comply with the wish? In my opinion, the whole Make-a-Wish foundation is stupid. Why not put all that time, money, energy, and fame into actually making a difference instead of doing some photo-op and autograph session.

If my kid gets Cancer, and I get a hold of Michael Jordan or Lady GaGa, it will be for some research money, not for some stupid autograph.

I say Kudos for having the cahones to say no to a stupid request.

This is a disgusting post, and anyone who starred it is a worthless bastard who needs to take a long look at themselves in the mirror. By the way, the number of stars this post got is alarming to say the least.

Why is it some stranger's responsibility to comply with the wish? Are you $@*#& kidding me? You people are EVIL!! Sure, I can say some pretty messed up things on this forum, but it is usually because of people like you driving me completely insane. Guess I can't really blame a lot of you. How does the quote go.... "You don't change the devil, the devil changes you." My point being, the world has gone to hell. We better make some room on the walls for our shrines of Mr. Crowley.

reply to post by Lysergic


agreed i would do rachel....err do the meeting with rachel ray her and those sexxeh child bearing hips...
That and a refrigerator and, "ILIKE TOAST AND BUTTER, I LIKE BREAD AND JAM"....
Maybe the kids digs older chicks?

reply to post by Phantom28804

That being said if my kid or your kids was dying of cancer and there was no chance for them to survive, and they made the statement all I want is to meet so and so before I die.

Kids will be kids, but I so hope that my kids will have more self esteem and better priorites than to put a celebrity on that pedestal. I am agreeing with you, that I would do everything possible to honor my kid's dying wish, but I really hope to do a better job of parenting, and hopefully my kid's dying wish would be along the lines of having all his true friends and family at his side during the hardest parts.

If the Make A Wish foundation really wanted to do some good, how about supplementing everyone's salary so that they could spend the last couple of months together with their family members. Or how about paying off someone at the FDA to get some experimental treatment instead of giving up hope and expecting death?

If it were my kid lying their dying, I have to believe that some stupid celebrity would be the last thing on any of our minds. We would never accept the death of a child; right up to that last breath I would be lobbying for miraculous treatment, or just plain miracles.

But, again, I can agree with you, if it came to that, I would probably kidnap the celebrity and smuggle them into my child's room just for one last smile!

reply to post by getreadyalready


So the Celebrity snub of a kid with Cancer is okay, and in fact it is the parents who are slimeballs for making the request public? You have perhaps the most warped values I have ever encountered.

reply to post by Buddha1098


Yes it is fine, the family is putting into the public eye their boy, who is ill, even worse they are putting their guilt trip into the mainstream as well.
Maybe the family should look inward to what could be the kids last days.
I know when my kids were sick, (but not dying) i gave them all of the attention they needed.
Heck i even took a few of em to work with me when i couldn't leave em alone.

reply to post by yeahright


Thanks for clarifying that for me, but on a personal note, I dont think that it matters to much either way. If he is "very very sick", that may be "terminal" in his mind, and the mind of those that are part of the Make a Wish foundation.

I was unaware that the foundation also did this for children that are sick, I thought this was only done for the terminally ill.

Peace, NRE.

reply to post by g146541


The Barefoot Contessa has every right to say no to the request. And the Kids family has every right for the denial to be made public.