Dying 7 year old Taunted by Neighbors

Tyguy

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http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/the_edge/dying-girl-taunted-by-neighbors-in-trenton

Reddit is actually collecting donations to give this girl the best day of her life. I love the internet.

CURRENT DONATION STATUS: $3,462.06 ROCK ON!
We've broken $3000. Between our appeals on local Detroit media and Reddit, I thought maybe we'd raise a few hundred dollars for Kathleen, but this has taken on a life of it's own. One of the first things I'll discuss with her grandmother when she replies is how to make this the most incredible experience possible for Kathleen, and how to help as many other kids as possible. THANK YOU, REDDIT!
I am blown away and humbled by the outpouring of support and trust you guys have in me to help do this. I am still awaiting contact from Kathleen's grandmother, but my current hope is this:
edit: I've used my business connections and secured a stretch limo if we need it. +1 awesome
edit: The grandmothers home number is disconnected. I can't blame them. I've asked Fox 2 Detroit to connect us - we'll see if they can or do. I hope they don't drop this story for something new tomorrow.
Assuming Kathleen is OK to travel:
1) Have a limo pick her up at her house (I'll cover that, or see if I can find someone to donate it)
2) Get her to our store and give her a private shopping experience unlike anything she's ever seen.
3) Let her also pick out toys for other terminal kids in the hospital nearby
4) Try to get a few local celebs to take her to lunch
5) Get her home, happy and with lots of toys
6) Hope it helps her have an incredible day
7) Excess toys go to CS Motts (or whatever place her family wants)
If she is not OK to travel, and if it's OK with her parents:
1) I pack up a metric assload of toys for her to choose from
2) We go to a place approved by her father and she gets to pick whatever she wants
3) I'll try to get a couple local celebs to come by
4) Get her home, happy and with lots of toys
5) Hope it helps her have an incredible day
6) Excess toys go to CS Motts (or whatever place her family wants)
Story here:
http://www.reddit.com/r/videos/comments/dokda/omfg_dying_girl_7_taunted_by_neighbors_in_trenton/
Here's what I propose:
I've set up a paypal donation site, available via http://treetowntoys.com
Let's collect donations for toys. We can either arrange to bring her the toys, or I will contact Fox 2 that broke this story and arrange to have them delivered to her house or to her rally.
I will also write a personal check for 10% of the donations for toys made out to her family.
I have also started calling toy manufacturers to see if we can get donations from them as well.
But... why stop there, honestly?
My store (Tree Town Toys - http://treetowntoys.com) works with the Mott's Children's Hospital at the University of Michigan. There are literally(1) hundreds of kids there right now with terminal diseases like Kathleen. We do what we can, but I know that these kids need support as much as anyone.
Any toys that are in excess of what little Kathleen needs or wants I will also personally deliver to those kids on behalf of Reddit.
Thoughts? I am not in this for money or fortune or glory, I am in it because kids are precious and should be respected just like anyone other person. These kids are in the fight of their lives, and anything that brightens their day is a respite, no matter how small.
Thoughts?
edit: I am on the telephone with the Fox 2 producer for Ron Savage, the reporter that broke the story, as I type this. I'll report as soon as I know what's up.
edit2: We have set up a donation button for paypal. You can get there from https://treetowntoys.com I've put $100 in to the pot.
edit3: Facebook page in support of kathleen.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Get-the-devil-off-Detroit-st/111485215577916?v=wall
edit4: If you want to donate to non-toy/gift initiatives for Kathleen and kids like her, you can go here:
http://www.firstgiving.com/kathleenscrusaders
I understand the skepticism about what I am trying to do, but the personal message snipes about me trying to pocket money are unfounded. I've been clear that I will provide proof of the purchases, etc.
(1) Yes - literally. :)

You can donate here if you're so inclined. Frankly, this is the best outcome I can imagine...followed closely by that woman being stoned to death in Times Square.
 
That Jennifer woman is a ****ing bitch. You have to be a real big person to laugh at a dead woman and her dying child. Yep. Real big. What a nasty c*nt.
 
Wow. Those people are the scum of the earth.

What rotted out that woman's vagina?


At least harassment would be far better for this couple than some naive child on youtube.

"I checked 4chan, and sure enough, they're quickly plotting vengeance. Someone posted the Petkov family's home address, phone number, a list of relatives and social network profiles. Some 4chan users are completely ambivalent, others are calling for the Petkovs' heads, and still others are praising the Petkovs for their epic troll (these folks are possibly being sarcastic). "

Wouldn't be surprised if this turns into a bigger, ugly story if the internet vigilantes latch onto it hard.


But I mean honestly, this is the type of thing that even the locals are going to go apeshit over. I read that their house was already egged. Good thing it was just with eggs, not greneggs.
 
I'd have no problem if someone drove a giant semi through that douchbag's house while they were sleeping. Also people should find out those ****'s facebook and try hacking in nasty pictures all over their page.
 
So 4chan does cool stuff now? I like.

Those 'people' deserve the utmost public humiliation.
 
Hooray for internet vigilantism. :rolleyes:

Anyway, $3000? Seriously? I mean I'm all for her having an awesome day before she goes, and it's nice the excess toys will go to other terminal kids, but... they couldn't have maybe given some of that to research?

Also - http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/local/apology-for-taunting-dying-little-girl

He just doesn't want his house egged.

"I'm sorry my wife is such a ****. I mean, you think that little girl has it bad, but having to **** that horrible shrew of a woman is a nightmare more terrible than any October decorations thrown up in the yard."
 
I'm putting 30/70 odds against anon getting pissed enough to do anything, they usually don't jump on the bandwagon. Anon generally likes to be headlines for starting the justice, rather than aiding it.
 
Hooray for internet vigilantism. :rolleyes:

Anyway, $3000? Seriously? I mean I'm all for her having an awesome day before she goes, and it's nice the excess toys will go to other terminal kids, but... they couldn't have maybe given some of that to research?

Also - http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/local/apology-for-taunting-dying-little-girl

"Some" of three grand wouldn't really get you far in terms of research, so whatever. If it was like 10 grand, I might be more inclined to agree.
 
^ Probably not, but that's a shitload of toys. Also it's still front page on reddit, so it could still increase.

So 4chan does cool stuff now? I like.

Those 'people' deserve the utmost public humiliation.
Yeah man, these people deserve whatever they get. Never mind if they're fearful for their lives, or the lives of their innocent family members because their personal information is broadcast on the internet. Never mind if the people who were originally wronged don't even wish them any harm. **** em, right? They deserve it, and it's totally not because you're just going after them for your own personal satisfaction!

Kindly **** off, please.
 
Yeah man, these people deserve whatever they get. Never mind if they're fearful for their lives, or the lives of their innocent family members because their personal information is broadcast on the internet. Never mind if the people who were originally wronged don't even wish them any harm. **** em, right? They deserve it, and it's totally not because you're just going after them for your own personal satisfaction!

Kindly **** off, please.

He said they deserve to be humiliated, not strung up by their thumbs and whipped to death.
 
I never would have expected this, but lately 4chan is one of the few things that gives me faith in the human race. It's a group of people with near-total anonymity, and do they plot terrorist acts, physical violence, or treason? No. They perform non-violent vigilante justice.
 
I never would have expected this, but lately 4chan is one of the few things that gives me faith in the human race. It's a group of people with near-total anonymity, and do they plot terrorist acts, physical violence, or treason? No. They perform non-violent vigilante justice.

And also non-violent acts of vandalism and harassment against innocent people and institutions.
 
Yeah, but it's non-violent. According to mainstream culture, 4chan is supposed to be the kind of environment that creates sociopathic killers. I'm just glad that some semblance of compassion seems to be the default moral stance of humanity, instead of the ultraviolence we get on television and the news.
 
Oh, come on, you cannot be serious. You guys are actually for this?

For the record, I said fear of death (or harm), I didn't mean they would actually be at risk. So, what, it's cool to harass people and make them fearful for their well being as long as it's non-violent, no matter how distraught they become or who else gets caught up in it? Give me a ****ing break. This is the equivalent of a five year old poking the air an inch from your eye and saying "I'm not touching you!" Ask yourself: how is this any better than what the woman in question was doing, and who are they actually helping by doing it, besides themselves?

And before you try to say I'm making this shit up - http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/d7m1c/dear_internet_vigilantes_and_lynch_mobs/
 
This is another one of my "I consider them inhuman to a degree" situations. I can't help myself :(
 
No doubt, I'm not trying to excuse what she's done in any way shape or form, I'm just trying to point out that this kind of retaliation is dangerously close to the "eye for an eye" mentality that most (well, some) members of this board are usually so vehemently against. But hey, maybe I'm wrong.

Anyway, all this because they didn't txt her quickly enough? Hate to see what she does if they don't poke her back on facebook.
 
The father of the dying seven y.o. has asked to leave the Petkovs alone so 4chan et al should butt out. Aggravating the situation by some massive anonymous troll won't help. The donation drive on the other hand is a nice idea.
 
Oh, come on, you cannot be serious. You guys are actually for this?

Well it depends on whether or not your philosophy is "An eye for an eye." or "Two wrongs don't make a right."
In this situation I believe an eye for an eye would be appropriate, insulting the dead/dying is one of the lowest acts for anyone to possibly commit.
 
One of the lowest? Really? I mean it's despicable, sure, but there are multitudes of worse things you can do. Most of which can be dealt with without resorting to vigilantism, by the way.

Anyway, I don't think the word 'appropriate' is appropriate in the context you used it, so we're obviously not going to see eye to eye on this. :V
 
What exactly is this 'anon' group capable of? I know they got one guy (mother****er) his bag back, and that's about all I know. I know they find ways to harass people [who may have 'deserved it']. What else have they done before? Have they ever harmed anyone physically?

For the record, I was going to say something somewhat similar to what Bad^Hat wrote, but didn't know how to word it (still don't).
 
One of the lowest? Really? I mean it's despicable, sure, but there are multitudes of worse things you can do. Most of which can be dealt with without resorting to vigilantism, by the way.

Well I don't wish torture or death upon them, obviously. But humiliation can be a decent form of punishment for acts like that IMO. If they suffer humiliating consequence of saying/doing that they will (hopefully) not feel a desire to do it again. Is it more embarrassing to have legal action made, or have everyone know what a heartless monster you are? Global humiliation.
But hey, this story has gone global. So I guess it's plausible that they are humiliated enough. I dunno.
 
What exactly is this 'anon' group capable of? I know they got one guy (mother****er) his bag back, and that's about all I know. I know they find ways to harass people [who may have 'deserved it']. What else have they done before? Have they ever harmed anyone physically?

Its the internet bro. They're a bunch of anti-social internet tough guys, so most of them probably don't have the capacity to inflict physical damage. But as a force of harassment, I've not really seen anything like them. They've harassed people to the point where they've committed suicide.

They're essentially what the woman in this news article is. They mock people who have died on sites set up in dedication to them, and call up family members to upset them, just for fun. So all this outrage over what this woman has done comes off as a little insincere to say the least.
 
No doubt, I'm not trying to excuse what she's done in any way shape or form, I'm just trying to point out that this kind of retaliation is dangerously close to the "eye for an eye" mentality that most (well, some) members of this board are usually so vehemently against. But hey, maybe I'm wrong.

Well, eye-for-an-eye is something I'm against when it's used by the justice system that should be objective and not led by emotions, but on a personal level? Fuck 'em, I say. We're humans with emotions after all.
 
I approve of this.

If there's no punishment for being an asshole just to be an asshole then what's stopping people from being assholes? I approve of being assholes to assholes.
 
Well, I'm sure this definitely worked. Those assholes are probably scared. Even the victims became concerned and tried to call off the internet dogs - I think that says it all.

I don't really have a polar view of this, either. On one hand, they are shitty people that don't seem to have a functioning conscience... I mean, what kind of person teases a parent about their terminally ill 7 year old? I'll tell you what kind - someone with brain damage. Either that or they have absolutely heinous moral reasoning.

But they should have a mother****ing conscience now, after realizing how society feels about them. So this is the good part of all this. But don't anon sometimes go too far? (I'm really asking) People should be responsible for themselves, anonymous or not. It's society condemning them that is helpful, the bricks through the window (or threatening phone calls - or whatever), not so much.
 
Oh, come on, you cannot be serious. You guys are actually for this?

For the record, I said fear of death (or harm), I didn't mean they would actually be at risk. So, what, it's cool to harass people and make them fearful for their well being as long as it's non-violent, no matter how distraught they become or who else gets caught up in it? Give me a ****ing break. This is the equivalent of a five year old poking the air an inch from your eye and saying "I'm not touching you!" Ask yourself: how is this any better than what the woman in question was doing, and who are they actually helping by doing it, besides themselves?

And before you try to say I'm making this shit up - http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/d7m1c/dear_internet_vigilantes_and_lynch_mobs/

You seem more interested in defending the people who photoshopped the grim reaper onto a dying a little girl, rather than defending the little girl and her family. I guess in some sort of effort to be more mature, less emotion-driven, and more logical? Well you should know you come off looking like an asshole.

I think you're allowed to think these people are filth. You're right, though, any trolling is done only for the troll and will probably harm the real victim's family more than anything. Internet vigilantism is a pile of bullshit, sure. But if I actually lived in that neighborhood, or knew these people, I would probably planned to rip that coffin off of their truck and thrown it through their ****ing window. Guess that's where you're such an oh-so-better person, eh?
 
Well, I'm sure this definitely worked. Those assholes are probably scared. Even the victims became concerned and tried to call off the internet dogs - I think that says it all.
Either that, or it just says that the people who were actually affected by this aren't half as vindictive as 95% of people on the internet.

You seem more interested in defending the people who photoshopped the grim reaper onto a dying a little girl, rather than defending the little girl and her family. I guess in some sort of effort to be more mature, less emotion-driven, and more logical? Well you should know you come off looking like an asshole.

I think you're allowed to think these people are filth. You're right, though, any trolling is done only for the troll and will probably harm the real victim's family more than anything. Internet vigilantism is a pile of bullshit, sure. But if I actually lived in that neighborhood, or knew these people, I would probably planned to rip that coffin off of their truck and thrown it through their ****ing window. Guess that's where you're such an oh-so-better person, eh?
k bro:

I'm not trying to excuse what she's done in any way shape or form
Also, um, I'm pretty sure the little girl doesn't need defending at this point. I mean, ****ing look at this thread.

All of the responses to my posts seem to simply be suggesting that it's okay to have emotions about this kind of thing. Well, I agree! Emotions are cool, and stuff. But you realise it's also possible to be a slave to your emotions, right? I mean, what you may call cold or logical, I would prefer to think of as merely reasonable. But I guess that's just because I'm SO MUCH BETTER THAN ALL OF YOU etc
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You were mocking anyone who thought HELL YEA because these filth people were targeted. I cracked a smile when I heard their house was egged, and you are trying to tell me this is unreasonable and unbelievably stupid. You're more interested in telling us that we suck, than those ****s. This is why I am annoyed; get over yourself.

The victim's family probably wants it to stop because all the attention can't be good for them, either. I'm sure they have more pressing things to think about than revenge. But people reading this get so fumed because it isn't punishable by law. Throwing cats in the garbage, puppies into rivers, or photoshopping skulls on dying little girls aren't easily-proven illegal things. So people get really pissed, and, while it's not a very good idea to go vigilante, it is satisfying to hear something happened to them.

It's like the guy that punched the fire chief in the face for letting his parent's house burn down. Sure, he was wrong, but go him. I probably would have done the same thing.
 
So... it's not okay for them to carry out this kind of vigilante justice, but it is okay to cheer them on?

Okay man.

For the record, I don't care about egging and innocent shit like that, but if you have an ounce of sense you know it doesn't stop at that. That is why I'm against this kind of shit. It always gets out of hand when places like /b/ become involved.
 
Hard concept to grasp, dude-bro-man? just chillllll mannnn, I'm the chilll one what's up with you bro?
 
... Okay.

On a lighter note, a photo in response to the donations/toys from the reddit community. :3

5072675393_50b7db0a31_z.jpg
 
and the contributions are well over 10 grand, including donations from other companies. so awesome...

CURRENT DONATION STATUS: $10740.12 HOLY FRIJOLES!
5:57PM EST 10/11 Look who has a special message for you, reddit!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/masing/5072675393/in/set-72157625144071630/lightbox/
(also linked here: http://www.reddit.com/r/reddit.com/comments/dpwiu/reddit_kathleen_the_little_girl_who_was_being/)
The photo set was taken today when we went to visit her family. What a tremendous family - genuine, sweet, loving, and such nice people. We brought a few gifts for the kids, but the BIG EVENT is on Thursday! Kathleen is coming to Ann Arbor (about an hour away from her house) by luxury limo - donated by Perfection Limousine, shopping 'til she drops at our toy store to get anything she wants, no limits. Then we are taking her over to the children's hospital where she will be donating hundreds of toys to sick kids there in her name, and to lunch at Carson's American Bistro (http://theeoburger.com/carsons_web/pages/carsons.html). Turns out Kathleen likes steak and watermelon, so that's what she is going to get. (I'll try to get some bacon on that steak for her, because... Mmmmmm. Bacon...)
Fox 2 will be coming along for the trip, and photos will be taken by everyone who can. Any nearby redditors are encourage to be at our store at 9:30 to cheer and applaud and welcome Kathleen and her family. Bring signs of encouragement, posters, banners, throw rose petals, whatever it takes to make her a princess! All in good tase, of course.
I didn't know this beforehand, but Fox 2 showed up during our visit today as well and interviewed everyone. Kathleen was way to occupied playing with my daughter (who is in the picture with her), but she did want to say hi to everyone and say thank you. The best part? I got a hug from her. And from her grandma. Her father and I shared a manly handshake and an acknowledging grunt. :)
 
What a ****ing shame that someone that young already has her fate decided....it's just really sad.
 
****ed up how cold some people are, in this case the neighbors obviously.

Nice to see the community gathering to help the little girl, as well as to make the neighbors realize what dicks they are.
 

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