Watch this story of a young girl with cancer.
Then, if you can, go to this site and donate. She just wants to go to the Harry Potter Experience in Florida. It seems a very small thing to ask.
Pharyngula
Evolution, development, and random biological ejaculations from a godless liberal
All comments on this thread have been deleted. Try again, only this time consider that the family of this little girl might read this thread, and that this is not the appropriate place to complain about your personal hurts.
I will spread this on Facebook and elsewhere. Poor kid. I hope she gets to go.
Reposting on FB too. Earlier someone suggested the family get in touch with the HP Experience people directly, and a lot of us would be willing to email them on her behalf as well, I’m sure, if it would help. And I’m sure there are HP fan groups out there that might be willing to lend a hand.
I cannot figure out why wordpress won’t allow me to log in here when it allows me to log in to other sites like WEIT, so I have to use google…weird.
Anyway, here is my thoughts, for what they’re worth:
A while back, I bought some Girl Scout cookies. Did it save anyone’s life? No, but it helped some little girls have fun. So sue me…
It’s a good cause to make a little girl feel happy on her last days of her life, sorry if it doesn’t meet some people’s criteria for worthy donations. If this doesn’t fit your personal donation framework, that’s okay…use YOUR money any way you wish.
I also feel for the dad. My daughter had some medical expenses recently that frankly tapped us out. Not just the medical bills, but traveling to the hospital every day was damn expensive. So I can understand this father’s need to ask for a few bucks. I’m sure he’s already run up his credit cards to do everything he can for his family. Now his daughter just asks him for one more thing. She won’t be asking for a prom dress, or an expensive wedding, or college. Just one small trip and he can’t do it. He feels like crap because he can’t just put it on the card like other people can. So he sucks up his pride and asks for help. I commend him and I hope everything works out well. If the worse does happen (most likely it seems), he at least can feel he did his best. Good luck to him and the sweet child.
I hope Universal sees this story and does the right thing.
If I had it at the moment, I definitely would. I’ll bookmark this and revisit in May. If they haven’t made it to there yet, I will make sure they can.
I’ve donated and I will be e-mailing the Harry Potter Experience. Tomorrow. I’m nursing a stubborn migraine right now.
Donated.
You can contact Universal here: http://media.universalorlando.com/
The contact button is on the bottom of the page.
Sorry about the slightly negative first two paragraphs in my post above. Now that PZ deleted some stuff they look stupid.
I just wanted to say that I feel for children like this and can understand the torment the family goes through too, both emotionally and financially. Most of the people that blog on atheist websites are good people in my experience. Some will want to help in this situation. Good for them.
Childhood cancer is evidence against the existence of a benevolent god. One who would allow the innocent to suffer would deserve contempt, not worship. :(
Thanks for sharing this family’s story, PZ.
robaldmaccoan @ 4, I had the same problem with logging in. It tells me my username is invalid.
Donated
Great thread, PZ.
I just sent this in as a news tip to MuggleNet. Maybe they can mobilize the Harry Potter fan base to help out.
I was happy to donate. I did not read the other comments before they were deleted, but if they contained what I think they did, I am glad PZ trashed them.
Donated. This is what the internet does. This is what the internet is for.
Donated.
I donated what I could. I really hope she gets to go. I went to the Harry Potter exhibit when it came to Australialand and it was fantastic!
Donated. I’m unsure how much he needs or how much has been raised so far…is that posted anywhere?
PZ, Thanks for posting this. I feel so much better about linking to this on my Facebook page after being inundated with the expected Easter nonsense from friends and families this Sunday morning instead of a reactionary post that I tend to do. I hope you don’t mind that I plagiarized your blog comments on this word-for-word on my Facebook post, I couldn’t have stated it any better.
Sent my contribution Friday.
Thanks, PZ.
Donated.
And couldn’t agree more, this IS what the internet is for.
Donated. I feel for the father. He seems to be about the same the same age as my son in law cept my s-i-l is in the same position as Ariel. Life really sucks sometime. I hope Ariel can go really soon and have a great time. Wish I could do more.
In the light of day, I regret feeding last night’s troll.
Not only am I a poor student, I’m a poor artist student, but I kicked in a few bucks.
Just donated an amount equal to what I might spend on a nice but dinner out with my wife. I figure 24 hr later, that dinner is literally shit. This donation, something much better.
Might I suggest a week’s worth of starbucks or whatever you might be able to forgo??
Hope this helps. PZ, please keep us posted re: if this family receives enough $$ to get them there. I gave what I could but should they fall short I could hit up a few of my young adult children for donations. (Maybe I’ll just do this anyway…..if I can track them down post-Saturday night partying.
This video was getting mirrored, liked and Favorited like crazy on youtube last night. I hope that it’s enough to get Ariel the trip she wants.
Couldnt donate, but I did share it on my FB account to get all of my rabble rousing and holier than though friends to think of an actual human being instead of a flying dead zombie Jew.
I hope they raise enough to send her to Harry Potter. I’m going to steal this and post it on the Book of Faces. Maybe some of my friends will kick in, too.
Donated before even watching the video…now after watching the video, this old cynic has a tear in his eyes.
Have a fabulous time at Hogwarts, Ariel!
Donated and shared. Thanks for sharing this.
Donated. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. Hope Ariel has a good time.
PS: I am a pretty cynical sob, but my most sincere sympathy goes out to Arieland her family. Her dad is a great man for going to such efforts to get the money together.
And from the ever-helpful YouTube commentariat, comes this.
TRIGGER WARNING FOR RELIGION, STUPIDITY, RAGE.
God’s fucking “blessings” my arse.
PZ and everyone – I’m active in the Harry Potter community and have passed this on to Andrew Slack (founder of the Harry Potter Alliance). He has responded and is going to send the information to This Star Won’t Go Out – an organization that financially assists family’s who have children with cancer. Here’s their site: http://tswgo.org/
It was founded by the family of a young Harry Potter fan who died of cancer.
It is now in wizard hands so I think there’s a very good chance Ariel is going to make it to Hogwarts. Thank you so much for sharing this so that we could help!!
The Paypal button at the bottom of the dad’s page just takes me to an error message saying “information was not provided” or some such, then asked me to log into Paypal. When I did that, I couldn’t go back to the original link – I’m taking it as a sign that the family has received enough in donations that Ariel will get to Hogwarts soon.
If not, if you can find the email ID of the dad, I would love to help out.
Righty ho – the Paypal link stopped working because they raised the money. I should have looked at the dad’s YouTube channel first, before posting that ultra-stupid-for-a-web-developer comment above *sigh*
Yep, they met their goal. Kudos to everybody that donated and to our fearless leader for posting the vid. dgeypscun has a video up thanking everybody and showing the damage from a fire in their home. Luckily nobody was hurt.
Sorry, I meant to post the link not the vid. I really shouldn’t be allowed to use a computer.
If you still want to donate (and their medical bills are starting to climb), you can find the bank details at dgeypscun.com, a 1-page web site.