Barefoot Contessa Refuses to Meet with Make-a-Wish Child

[soxxy]

What a PR mess! (Calling PRLady)

How the tables have turned: After offering to meet a Make-a-Wish kid she'd twice turned down, the "Barefoot Contessa" is now being snubbed.

Enzo, who has leukemia, is now choosing to swim with the dolphins.

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/...ry?id=13264867

Enzo's mother's blog:

http://www.angelsforenzo.com/march2011update2.htm

[Kasey]

I don't know if I would liken it to Chris Brown, as some people have, but it is pretty bitchy. I understand that no one has time for all the charity requests they probably get, as celebrities; but turning this same child down twice? Pretty cold.

[genevieve]

I read the mom's blog and well...I'll say that having a very sick child understandably makes one a bit self-reflective and dramatic.

But it looks like this has turned into another instance of the internet machinery deciding to right a wrong, and the mom has now asked people to stop:
http://www.angelsforenzo.com/pleasestopthemadness.htm

[Cheylana]

Don't know how I feel about the parents publicly calling out Barefoot Contessa on the internet. What was the point, other than to publicly shame and punish her? With their little kid sick, shouldn't attending to his needs be their priority right now?

Poor little Enzo. Well, if it's any comfort, dolphins are freaking awesome. Dolphins >>> the vast majority of celebrities... they are cute and sweet and don't have an agenda!

[WindSpirit]

I read some of his family's blog.

Enzo is incredible smart and has 1,000,000 questions. He has been asking a lot of Q’s about heaven (right now he thinks is a person and he wants to kick it’s butt and get his friends back!) He knew Liam was going to pass the night before it happened, he told me. I truly believe kids know EVERYTHING. I feel so awful for him because literally every friend he knew from the hospital is gone. I made a point this past 6 months to try and seek out playmates for him that do not have cancer (for obvious reasons.) We are trying to keep his life as “normal” as we can and it can be a little tricky because it is still too risky to put him in school, or have him at certain events, etc… His “brother” Chris ( a friend that he calls his brother) was supposed to come over last Thursday and had to cancel because his Mom got the flu and last night I realized Enzo thought Chris had died because he didn’t show up. I just felt awful. This is the sort of thing most Mom’s don’t have conversations about with their 4 year olds, but Enzo’s life has been touched by so much loss, he has a completely different perspective then most lil guys and that part does break my heart. Also personally, I do have to watch carefully my own emotions because Enzo and I are so connected and he feeds off of my moods and it has been a little tough at moments to sort of “act” my way through this week. For whatever reason I thought Chucky Cheese was a great idea on Thursday and then I sat there hiding in the corner bawling my brains out for 2 hrs. looking at all these cute lil boys and thinking about Liam and what a complete rip off that he is not with us anymore. For all the “he is in a better place now” comments, sorry that does not help me AT ALL.

It reminds me of a girl I went to school with. She had already had leukemia for quite a while when we started first grade. She died in third grade. She was our first reality check that kids die, too. I'm pretty sure she, like Enzo, had already been familiar with death. It just seems so unfair for kids to have such experiences.

As for the Contessa's thing. I think it was blown out of proportion. Not that it was a nice thing for her to do, but if she doesn't have time, she doesn't have time. Too bad she managed to find some to help her reputation.

[agalisgv]

I think it's kinda tacky of the family (particularly in this case the mother) to be blogging about it in the first place, personally. First choice wishes frequently don't work out, and it doesn't help the child for parents to nurse the disappointment by posting it on a blog and going on about it, implicitly supporting boycotts and backbiting and such. But then I think it's tacky of the mother to be blogging about the personal affairs of her child in the first place. This won't be popular, but her blog to me reads as one long expression of entitled narcissism.

FWIW, my son also made a wish, and neither his first nor second choice worked out. Actually, not even his third choice did either, but we went with an alternate version of choice #3. We were very grateful for getting anything at all.

[Rex]

^^^That's what I say too agalisgv.
Also, I don't know too many kids his age who are interested in cooking celebrities. My guess is that one of the parents wanted to meet Ina and used the dying son as an excuse to meet her. I know, it does sound awful, but such are the times we live in.

[agalisgv]

Also, I don't know too many kids his age who are interested in cooking celebrities. My guess is that one of the parents wanted to meet Ina and used the dying son as an excuse to meet her. I know, it does sound awful, but such are the times we live in.

Just from personal experience, I will say that these organizations that grant wishes are on the lookout for parents trying to use their children to get a wish for themselves. So they do put some checks in place to try and counter that.

I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt on the wish itself. But the blog IMO is all about the mom, and to a degree is her way of capitalizing off her son's wish and illness.

I'm trying to hold back a bit, but yeah, not kind thoughts on that.

[genevieve]

I'm trying to hold back a bit, but yeah, not kind thoughts on that.

That's what I got from the blog too.

[Rex]

Just from personal experience, I will say that these organizations that grant wishes are on the lookout for parents trying to use their children to get a wish for themselves. So they do put some checks in place to try and counter that.

I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt on the wish itself. But the blog IMO is all about the mom, and to a degree is her way of capitalizing off her son's wish and illness.

I'm trying to hold back a bit, but yeah, not kind thoughts on that.

That is even sadder.

[Jenny]

In the old days, people going through challenges would talk it over with friends and family, and perhaps write a journal. Maybe it's just my age, but I don't get the need to share with an entire world of strangers, let alone all the people you actually know.

I guess kids today are desensitized and less concerned about privacy, but if my mother had had a blog where she wrote about her feelings, me and my family, illnesses and the like, I would have been mortified. I used to cringe at the idea of her talking to other parents or my teachers about me. I can't imagine what it would be like to have everyone you know - no matter how well, no matter if you like them or not, no matter their relationship to you - privy to all that.

[manleywoman]

I guess kids today are desensitized and less concerned about privacy, but if my mother had had a blog where she wrote about her feelings, me and my family, illnesses and the like, I would have been mortified. I used to cringe at the idea of her talking to other parents or my teachers about me. I can't imagine what it would be like to have everyone you know - no matter how well, no matter if you like them or not, no matter their relationship to you - privy to all that.

People make a lot of money off blogging about their problems these days. Its how the woman who started http://www.dooce.com became the #1 mommy blogger, and she makes a fortune now. Her blog is more hilarious and snarky than when it started, but in the beginning she bitched (in a funny way)_ about her depression, her mormon upbringing, etc. She got her family very pissed at her as well. But now she makes $$$.

Stories like that encourage people to make their problems public.

On the one hand, I think it's a good thing for people who are looking for a community that has the same problems that they have so they can work through them with feedback and help. On the other hand, some of it is TMI.

[Coco]

^^^That's what I say too agalisgv.
Also, I don't know too many kids his age who are interested in cooking celebrities. My guess is that one of the parents wanted to meet Ina and used the dying son as an excuse to meet her. I know, it does sound awful, but such are the times we live in.

Who was the comedian who told Howard Stern about his cancer stricken son's meeting with the Make a Wish people?

He had his son tell them his wish was to watch his dad have sex with Dolly Parton.

I *think* he was kidding.

[taf2002]

About a month ago I was taken to task for assuming I knew the motives of a person who was a stranger to me but that's exactly what many of you are doing now. This woman's whole world is caught up with her son's cancer. I can't even imagine the torture she goes thru daily. And it's not just her son's physical pain; the mental pain of losing playmates is this 4yr old's reality.

As a caregiver for going on 3 yrs she probably seldom has the time to keep in touch with friends or socialize. So who is this woman supposed to talk to? Her blog may be the one thing keeping her sane. Sure, she didn't need to call out this woman publically on her blog for denying his MAW, but for the rest, why don't we cut her some slack?

[BigB08822]

I heard about this on TMZ a little while back. I never once felt like Garten was to blame. I seriously doubt she said "oh no, let's break that kids heart.." If she had other engagements or plans then what was she to do? I think the organization said they have had a good relationship with her in the past. This is all about the mother going online and starting a smear campaign because without all the facts it is Garten who looks evil.

[IceAlisa]

The blog and the mother's subsequent behavior online has nothing to do with Ina Garten initial decision not to honor the request. I think she could have found the time unless she is inundated by hundreds of similar requests every day, which I doubt. It's not a typical 6 year old wish to cook with Barefoot Contessa.

Also, I know a parent who lost a child at about that age and blogged about their loss and grief. I think it helped them to deal with their tragedy. Having a child with cancer is horrendous. If the mother chose to talk about it online and the child is fine with it, what's the big deal? People deal with their burden in different ways.

[BigB08822]

And I suppose that you think Garten sits around on her fat ass all day with nothing to do? She could be out of the country or working in another state. She is certainly busier than the average person. She has a television show, she writes books, who knows what else she does. It sounds as if Garten simply couldn't do it when they asked and I am sure for good reason.

[IceAlisa]

And I suppose that you think Garten sits around on her fat ass all day with nothing to do? She could be out of the country or working in another state. She is certainly busier than the average person. She has a television show, she writes books, who knows what else she does. It sounds as if Garten simply couldn't do it when they asked and I am sure for good reason.

She is busier than most people although I do know some extremely busy individuals who find time for charity. Was she given just one set of dates and not given an opportunity to name a date at her convenience? The POTUS finds time to make a call on behalf of Michael Vick and I bet he is busier than Ina Garten.

[BigB08822]

Making time for charity is different than coordinating your very busy schedule with a boy and his family's very busy schedule. He has tons of appointments, may be in the hospital, etc. She may be in NYC for a book signing, might be in Paris filming an episode of her show, etc. It is not easy to coordinate. I just think it is a HUGE assumption to think she just didn't feel like doing it which is what you are saying. The organization already stated she has worked with them in the past, so clearly she has found time for charity and clearly he is the not the only make a wish child to want to meet her.

[IceAlisa]

So are you saying they tried to coordinate and couldn't get their schedules to coincide? It doesn't sound like that to me--no mention of that that I've seen. It sounds like she refused without trying.

What does she mean she has worked with them in the past? And if she has, why isn't she doing it again? I have a hard time imagining hundreds and hundreds of terminally ill children lining up to cook with her.

I think people are being judgmental towards a person who is suffering the worst fate for a parent and is about to lose her child. And I see assumptions that Ina Garten had gone out of her way and tried to do this but the logistics were impossible to resolve. And then all of a sudden when this became public, IIRC (I haven't been paying close attention) Ina finds some time after all and time issues go away? Please.