Marketing Misery

It has been stated that tragedies bring out the best in us. They also bring out the worst. This seems especially so when the tragedy involves a child. Unlike adult victims however, child victims are generally shielded from the media spotlight. For several reasons, the least of which involves the basic premise that we, as a civilized society, consider it extremely distasteful to feast upon our children’s pain. Or so we claim…

Making money off victims’ plights is not new. In fact, two of the most widely publicized child victim cases–JonBenet Ramsey and Matthew Eappen–which occurred within months of each other, hilight just how grotesque we, as a society, can be.

Within weeks of JonBenet’s December 1996 death, the Globe had obtained and published unauthorised autopsy and crime scene photos.^[1] The media machine shows repeated footage of the highly sexualized 5-year-old when introducing that case. The case remains unsolved and has drawn thousands, if not millions, of arm chair detectives and curious spectators alike. And JonBenet’s death, alone, has resulted in fame and/or financial gain for numerous people–the latest, being John Mark Karr.

Matthew Eappen’s case occurred in February of 1997, and was the most widely publicized case of an incredibly tragic though little heard of form of child abuse–shaken baby syndrome (SBS). Within months of Louise Woodward‘s reduced conviciton and amidst the public outcry, darker allegations began surfacing–that Woodward and her parents were profiting from Mathew’s death.^[2] Shortly thereafter, the Eappen’s filed a civil suit requesting an injunction that would prevent the Woodwards from making money off of their son’s death^[3] Woodward’s parents were charged with theft in January of 1999, after allegedly submitting a fraudulent invoice to the Louise Woodward and Family Trust fund.^[4]

Earlier this year, and just over a little over 10 years later, Kaleb Schwade became yet another victim in the ever-growing list of SBS victims. What is it however that differentiates Kaleb’s story from other SBS victims? MySpace and allegations of marketing misery, it seems.

On Tuesday, May 8, 2007, Kaleb’s mother, Kristy (Reynolds) Schwade dropped her son off with his daycare worker, Rebecca Saunders. Early accounts note that Saunders contacted Schwade to report that Kaleb had a temperature and was throwing up. His grandmother picked him up early. It was later alleged that Schwade commented that same day to a friend on MySpace.^[5]

So I just got a call from the Babysitter and Kaleb is SICK… 102 fever and throwing up… WHEN WILL IT END! I am so tired of DRAMA?“

By Wednesday, May 9, 2007, Kaleb’s condition had deteriorated, requiring a “life flight” to Tampa General Hospital, where it was determined that he was suffering from massive inter-cranial bleeding (bilateral hemorrhaging and subdural hematoma) as a result of shaken baby syndrome. Outside of a May 15th article reporting Saunder’s arrest,^[6] there is sparse information on this case.^[7] By early-June however Kaleb’s story had begun spreading throughout the online social networking site, MySpace. Schwade has been using her MySpace blog to report on her son’s condition, as well as posting a photo-journal of his ordeal. Because of this, she has attracted thousands of supporters. One need only briefly gaze upon the face of that precious little boy to understand why. By Thursday, June 7, 2007, she reportedly had the most-visited MySpace profile^[8] and by Friday, June 22, 2007, she announced that she had a mission:

Kaleb is what this is all about. What started out on “My Space blog” as my plea to my friends for prayer, has spread throughout this country and has brought many people closer to God and this is every Christian’s mission–to share the Word. Seems like this is happening. Kaleb is our little disciple because of what happened to him. Kaleb’s “silence is golden”. His silence has reached thousands of believers and non-believers and only God will know how many lives have been truely touched and transformed because of my little baby.

We, as a society, love missions–a cause by any other name–whether we are rallying behind the war on terrorism, fighting against SBS, or bringing people to “God.” In a sense, they are a necessary aspect of our societal landscape. They can however be problematic. For they make great campaign fodder for swindlers. And there have been and always will be those who understand this. Those who have no compunctions using such to exploit a victim’s plight. Kristy Schwade has been accused of being one such individual. Yet, is this truly the case? Let’s take a look.

On Monday, June 4, 2007, and in response to the overwhelming support from well-wishers, Schwade posted a snail-mail address for cards, gifts, and donations. By then, a woman from Pennsylvania had begun, and was joined by others in, fundraising campaigns for Kaleb. These included but were not limited to, “Pray for Kaleb” Merchandise, Kaleb Bracelets, Kaleb Bumbersickers, Kaleb Keychains, Injets for Kaleb, SBS magnets, and Kaleb Team. One enterprising individual set up an auction on eBay. In addition to the online fund raisers, various individuals have hosted fund raising events in their area–at least 5 so far. These are chronicled in the picture section of Schwade’s MySpace.

On Thursday, June 21, 2007, Schwade announced that Kaleb was fitted with a stroller but that

“There is NO way this thing will fit in my car”

By July 5, 2007, another fund-raising project was under way–the Kaleb Mini Van fund–which included a donation thermometer to indicate how much money had been raised thus far. Shortly thereafter, three women traveled to Florida to deliver the minivan and a $30K check to Kaleb’s family. Their story is told in a MySpace blog entry and their journey chronicled in a photo journal in the pictures section of their MySpace profile.

On Wednesday, July 11, 2007, Schwade lamented:

Kaleb’s room has a REALLY old closet unit AC in it and I really do not trust it, I am afraid that it might have mold or mildew around (being as our apartment has FLOODED 3 times. I am not exzagerating when I say FLOODED.)

Like clockwork, her blog entry prompted yet another campaign. This time for an extreme makeover: home edition for the Schwades. There is, of course, one minor problem. They live in an apartment.

At this time, donations are reportedly hovering at around $100K and more than a few people have begun to ask questions. For example, why do the Schwades need financial assistance for medical bills when the Children’s Medical Services of Florida has a special program (BSCIP) specifically designed to cover medical expenses of child TBI victims? Additionally, what about Florida statutes as they pertain to soliciting donations? Although the fundrasing campaigns are being managed by individuals who are not Florida residents, Ms. Schwade has made several posts requesting funds be sent to her P.O. Box and that checks be made out to her. As for other individuals, it has been clearly stated that the funds will be paid to the Schwade family. And finally, what is with what appears to be “photo-shoots” of various individuals with this child? While some may find these photos to be fine and dandy, in light of the gravity of the situation, they are, at best, garrishly bombastic, and at worst, grossly unethical on the part of the family and the hospital staff that allowed them.

In the final analysis, we cannot truly know the intentions of the Schwades. After all, one could make a well-reasoned argument that the aforementioned, individually, are nothing more than an understandable response in the face of a devastating tragedy. The whole, taken together, however tells a different story. For it smacks of an individual who is preying upon the charity of the well-intentioned by using the heart-rending visage of her son to garner both sympathy and financial gain. Yet, is this perception accurate? Only time will tell…

Documents:
Incident Report, Criminal Report, Crime Scene / Narrative