Have you seen the "realistic" preemie doll by Ashton-Drake????

Just wanted to include a copy of my letter to the company as well.



I wanted to express my deep sadness over the release of your new “life like preemie, Grace”. Your company’s misrepresentation of preemies sets back the educational efforts of wonderful groups like the March of Dimes by decades. Preemies are not simply a smaller version of full term infants. Prematurity is a very serious issue! I can assure you my 31 weeker never had “folds or creases” anywhere on his tiny body during his NICU experience. Your artist forgot many of the most important preemie accessories: the ventilator (because his underdeveloped lungs are incapable of performing the task of breathing), the PIC line in his arm, the numerous IV lines, the feeding tubes, monitors, and don’t forget the anxious parents waiting outside the NICU door because they are not allowed to visit their child because the preemie in the bed next to him is crashing with every available nurse, doctor, and chaplain doing everything possible to save this fellow preemie. “Grace” dishonors preemies and their families everywhere!

Hi ladies,

I'm attaching a copy of the letter I sent to Ashton Drake.

I writing to voice my extreme disappointment in the choice your company has made in making and attempting to sell the doll Grace. Their is absolutely nothing that is "Life-like" about your preemie representation! My twin girls were born at 25 weeks gestation and didn't even measure 15 inches long and to this day have not one crease or fold! You neglected to include on the doll the ventilator that would have been needed to sustain her fragile life, or the numerous IVs for medications and feeding, also necesssary to sustain the life of a Preemie. Within the description of the doll you state something about cuddling with this adorable preemie. The fact is many parents of Premature children wait for weeks, sometimes months, to hold their child because they are so sick.
Prematurity is an enormous problem in our world and the leading cause of death in infants within the first month of life. As I'm sure this company meant no disrespect in making this doll I do feel that you have been extremely disrespectful and insensitive to all Parents of Premature children. I would hope that in the future your company would use better judgement when designing and marketing future merchandise!
Sincerely,
Karri Friedenberger

I wish I could hug each and every one of you! When I found that ad, wrote the letter and got that disheartening response I was feeling so bummed. I felt like the power of one was not enough. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! To each and every one of you who wrote a letter on behalf of our children, I thank you. Perhaps my voice by itself wasn't enough, but perhaps with all of our voices protesting together it will be just the education the Ashton-Drake Galleries needs.
It just goes to show, a POP just understands how another POP feels. I feel like I am in such great company here... surrounded by compassionate, powerful and VOCAL moms and dads who can be the voices for these tiny babies who can not voice their protests themselves! You guys really are the best.
Keep writing!

Just an update: I received the same form letter back in response to my letter that the rest of you received. I just hope a person is reading these letters and not a computer spitting out replies. The letters that you all have posted have been so eloquently written and heartfelt. Even if we change nothing about "Grace" maybe we can stop a future line of preemie dolls.

Woooooohoooooooooo...I just sent my letter also. It really breaks my heart and that is what I told them. The public's perception of a preemie is already way out of bounds, seeing a doll like this just leads the public further astray and keeps them from realizing that prematurity is a HUGE health care crisis. It is growing in epidemic proportions and thank God, the March of Dimes is trying to do something about it!!!

You guys are the best and TOGETHER we can make a difference!!
Hugs!
Michele

I just wanted to post that the prematurity wristbands are now available at the March of Dimes site. I am trying to get the word out and this is a pretty active thread right now, so I thought I would mention it here. They look fantastic, so help spread the word.

Kathleen Stahl

Hey, guys! I got a phone call from Ashton-Drake and spoke with the customer service supervisor. She said they have received numerous e-mails and she is forwarding them on. I think by the end of our conversation she was on our side. My advice and hers is to keep the e-mails coming. You will get the form letter response, but she is forwarding them to her supervisor. She would not give me her supervisors name, I tried! Anyway, keep the e-mails going!!!

Hugs!
Michele

Michele,
That's great news! Perhaps after some convincing letters and emails they are starting to see things through a different light. I have been consumed by this lately and I'm tired of sleepless nights! I have emailed everyone in my address book (and that's a LOT of people) asking, well desperately pleading, for more letters to the company. I am gaining hope that we will make a difference. POPs are a pretty resilient group, we've been through a lot. We're patient and strong and that's a pretty good recipe to make a change. I am keeping the ad, though, to use in my future MOD speeches as an example.
Yay! I feel so much better about this than I did a few days ago.

Thank you so much for passing that along! I can not believe you got a real live person on the phone! At least now we know that the letters are being read by a real person and not being responded to by an automated system. You go Ms. National Ambassador!!

Just wanted to say thank you for bringing this to our attention. See, your one voice has already made a big difference!

I sent out my letter too...and invited the President/CEO to come and visit us all on the site and see our "mission statement and vision" for our wonderful preemies through the wonderful stories here. I'll follow up when I get my response!

But just wanted to also say....what an "elite" group of wonderful parents here on SHARE....and how proudly we represent all our children!

Brenda & Benjamin (34 weeker born 12/24/99 with NEC)

I 2nd that!!! We can/ARE making a difference! One voice, one heart and instead of it changing to many voices, many hearts it becomes a stronger one voice and a stronger one heart!!!!!!!!!!!

Hugs!
Michele

I love the idea of using the ad in a speech! What a wonderful idea..."Isn't this preemie cute? Doesn't she look healthy? Is this what you thought a preemie looked like? Well, let me show what a preemie is really all about, Amanda at one time had chubby cheeks but it was only because of the steriods she was on to help wean her from the ventilator because her lungs were so bad she had to have help just to breath..." and I could go on and on and on and on and on....

Thanks, guys!!!!!!!
Hugs!
Michele

As many of you have already done, I did submit my letter to the stack....and of course got the same form letter back...

Thanks Michele for what you add to any conversation! You have a talent for putting a spin of humor and/or creativity that warms people's hearts or shoves a mirror in front of them.

As others have said, as parent's of preemies, we have been through so much...one voice at a time....makes one loud voice. We have the ability in us to make change something that really does happen.

Melissa Middleton (Mom of Alex *deceased* Ben, Callie, and Donovan)

Hello ladies I to sent a letter but I sent mine to the FOX 29 news channel, the have a segment thats called What's Bugging You?? Well I e-mailed them a letter about this doll so we will have to see what happens, this is what I wrote to them.
 What's Bugging me is that Ashton Drake has put a new doll out on the market and her name is Grace and they are advertising her as a preemie baby doll, although this doll is very cute she represents nothing of the sort, she is very plump and healthy looking unlike a real premature baby does. I should know this due to the fact that I gave birth to a 25 week premature baby that only weighed 1 lb and 15 oz and was 13 inches long. He spent alomost three months in the NICU hooked up to IV's and was also attached to a ventilator for 6 weeks because there was no way that he could survive due to his lungs being so underdeveloped to breath on his own. He recieved blood transfusions and was treated for a heart condition and had ROP a eye condition, among all the other countless complications that went along with being born to soon. I can also say that it is not all roses after they come home from the hospital, we had to got many doctor appt. at the children's hosp in DE (Dupont). Sometimes 3 a week with different specialists, and what fun that was hooked up to Oxygen, heart monitor and a pulse ox machine that went off all the time, maybe the company should really take a good look at what a premature baby looks like before they market such a doll, it was very disheartening for all of us at the March of Dimes share web site. Many of us parents from the site are sending letters to the company to voice our disappointment in there decision.

Andrea Green
Ladies I want to send a letter to the company but I need the e-mail address that you all used cna someone offer it to me thanks

yes I have seen this " so called preemie" through our web site, I asked the other day for someone to show the letter the the company sent. also I need the web site or address to the company. I am not happy with this doll! its so sad what people will do for money!

I just sent you via e-mail the letter and the link for the response! Hope this helps!!

Hugs!
Michele

Hey everyone. I sent my letter off, and I invited the CEO to form a WalkAmerica team with his company and gave him walk options in the Niles area. I am so glad we are able to speak out for the smallest, all thanks to the March of Dimes.

Kathleen Stahl

Hi, this is Pam at the March of Dimes, one of the moderators for the SHARE site. The March of Dimes shares your concerns about the preemie doll currently being advertised by Ashton-Drake. Just wanted to let you know that the March of Dimes will also be sending a letter to the company. The moderators will keep you posted.

Best wishes to all of you and thank you so much for your participation in SHARE. As I have said to some of you, your stories and your love for your children are an inspiration to us.

I SEE YOU RESPONDED TO ME BUT, MAYBE I'M NOT UNDERSTANING SOMETHING, I AM NOT GOOD AT THIS COMPUTER THING. ( SORRY, FOR TAKING YOU TIME) I THOUGHT THE COMPANY SENT A LETTER FOR US? ABOUT THE DOLL. ALSO TO WHAT EMAIL ADDRESS CAN I SENT TO THEM? IF YOU HAVE TIME PLEASE LET ME KNOW! ALITTLE CONFUSED

I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO SEE THE RESPONCE IF YOU GOT ONE. PLEASE LET ME KNOW . THANKYOU SHACARM

I'M SO SORRY TO BOTHER YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE, YOU SAID THAT YOU VIA EMAILED ME THE RESPONCE? I DONT KNOW WHERE IT IS?

Here's the note I sent. Of course, all I got was the canned answer.

Ashton Drake Company,

I am simply outraged at your firm’s portrayal of a “truly realistic preemie” in the “little Grace” doll. (http://ashtondrake.collectiblestoday.com/ct/product/prdid-300063001.jsp) The entire concept and marketing of this contrivance is a disgrace to your company, and plainly offensive to parents of premature babies. To think that you would hope to profit from a deeply tragic event like a premature birth. Shame on you. Next, will you be creating “lifelike” car accident surviving babies. How adorable they will be!

The doll itself is a farce. It looks nothing like a 15 1/2 inch preemie. I had a 15 1/2 inch preemie, I have attached her photograph for your reference. Please note the lack of any body fat, the mass of electronics and medical equipment needed to keep her alive, and the inability of a loving parent to even hold their new child or see her face. Of course, if you marketed the “Loving Isolette” as an add on, you’d make a fortune! Does your doll come with the sleeve of forms requesting Medicaid assistance and special therapies through State and County facilities? Does your doll come with 213 pages of hospital bills? (I can forward those for your reference as well.) The fulfillment of these “cute extras” would be quite tricky and may increase the sweet spot price at which you offer this little gem. (Admittedly, $129.00 is a bargain, our preemie cost well over half a million!)

Furthermore, who in their right mind would WANT to have a preemie, given the choice? These tiny babies struggle, many have serious and often lifelong disabilities. I wouldn’t wish a preemie, or the parental hell they initially bring, upon anyone, and yet, here you are selling it as “cute.”

All I can say is I am disgusted. I am forwarding this note to my friends and business associates and my local media outlets. There is a large and powerful public forum at the March of Dimes, the members of which are doing the same as I.

Regards,

Todd Bemis
Parent of a preemie
Atlanta, Georgia

P.S. I just noticed that your doll is missing surgery scars! Good Lord! How unbelievable, no scars. Your designer didn’t do their homework.

Here is the company's response... Dear Valued Client,

Thank you for contacting us with your concerns regarding "May God Bless You, Little Grace Lifelike Baby Doll."

We certainly did not intend to offend anyone with this depiction of a premature baby. As not all babies start out on equal footing, this doll is meant to represent a celebration of life. Thanks to the advances in medical treatment, and the loving care of parents and family, there are most often happy, healthy babies.

Thank you again for contacting us as we always appreciate your comments. Please respond to this email if we may be of further assistance.

Sincerely,

James Hunnington
collectiblestoday.com Customer Service

Shacarm,
You're just having navigational problems, that's all! See the arrows on the grey bar on the right side of the screen that say outline, all, prev, top, last, next? Click on the up and down arrows that say ALL and you will be able to see all the posts. There you'll find the letters written by us and the companies response. Noone (as of yet) has gotten a personal letter from the company, instead they email a standard predrafted form letter in response.
Hope this helps. Also, if you didn't get Michele's email make sure your preferences are set to forward your MOD email to your regular email adress. I don't know how to retrieve the MOD email either. Good luck!

Andrea,

The email address is:
www.collectiblestoday.com

Have at it girlfriend!!!

I'm curious as to wether they will really do something about it or not!! I've been watching the site to see if any advertising has changed on the doll and thus far nothing has changed.

Karri

Thanks so much now I can send them my own letter.
   Andrea

just wanted everyone to know that i have contacted OPRAH WINFREY, NBC, CBS, and DATELINE i hope n pray for all of our mircles and angels that something will be done about this issue i am also sooo sorry for all of us preemie moms who have to go through this it is a slap in the face i will keep u all updated on my responces i hope somebody can get through to them

Hello ladies!

Andrea, no problem on the address.

Brandy, Great job on contacting all those avenues! Hopefully someone will hear our "United Voice"

Question to everyone:

I'm trying to find the ABC link to the John Stosel segments..."Shame On You". He runs them, I believe, on Primetime or 20/20, but I can't seem to be able to find the link on how to contact him on this one. Any suggestions???

Thanks,
Karri

Well, I got my reply too...they decided to change it up a bit but it reads much the same....

Dear Valued Client,

Thank you for contacting us with your concerns regarding "May God Bless
You, Little Grace" lifelike baby doll.

We certainly did not intend to offend anyone with this depiction of a
premature baby. Although we recognize that premature babies may not
always appear the way our artist has depicted, their strength and
willingness to survive will always shine through.

As not all babies start out on equal footing, this doll is meant to
represent a celebration of life. It represents the love and strength of
these babies and the love and strength of their parents. Thanks to the
advances in medical treatment, and the loving care of parents and family,
there are more happy and healthy babies then ever before.

Thank you again for contacting us as we always appreciate your
comments.

Sincerely,

James Hunnington
collectiblestoday.com Customer Service