Is this message genuine or a chainletter?
Would need a quick response if genuine.
Karen Middleton
Tuesday, January 11, 2005 9:15 AM
Subject: Need a favour
This child has missed its parents in the Tsunami incident. just keep passing this, somewhere this child's parents or relatives might come to know the whereabouts of this child.
Please send this to everyone you know, as we don't have anything to lose. At least the boy might regain his family!
Looking for his family.
The boy about 2 years, from Khoa Lak is missing his parents. Nobody knows what country he comes from. If anybody known him please contact us by phone 076-249400-4 ext. 1336, 1339 or e- mail :
Thanks, Tanya
Just to reiterate, he's 14-month-old Hannes Bergstroem from Sweden. His father is alive and recovering but apparently his mother is deceased.
Citizen Premier
in San Diego
Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2005 | 05:49 PM
that picture is pretty touching when one is listening to simon and garfunkel. But I can't help but wondering if the tourists who died are reciving undo attention. I'm sure there are plenty of little lost south asian boys, and why aren't there spam emails about them? Are we just more sensitive about little white boys?
MNJ
in Midwest USA
Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2005 | 07:17 PM
Dear Citizen Premier, Although it is a very sad aspect of humanity... in answer to your question. Yes, people in this area of the world probably are a little more concerned w/ the people they relate more to... just like I'm sure that those people over there are probably just a little more concerned w/ the people they relate to more. Don't hate me for saying this as I think it's wrong myself and feel equally for all who have suffered because of this tragedy... it's just my opinion that, "Yes, white people worry about white people first or a little more or whatever... just as black people worry about black people (substitute color as desired) first or a little more or whatever." I don't even think it's really a conscious thing so much as it's a logic thing... would an e-mail chain bouncing around the USA and Western Europe that is searching for a lost set of Indian parents really do any good?
Lina
in Miami
Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 | 07:52 AM
Maybe not even the fact that he is white, but that he is beautiful and photogenic. It's like when the news runs a story about a "beautiful, young woman" that was murdered/raped/substitute crime of choice. What about those homely girls that get killed, do they just neglect to run a picture or what? Did you hear all that coverage about that model that clung to a palm tree for like 8 hours? And I don't knock her for being a model; anyone who can cling to a tree for hours with a broken pelvis and other injuries is one tough person, gorgeous or not.
Lina
in Miami
Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2005 | 10:06 AM
I just noticed on the front page of the Sun Sentinel (A Broward county, Florida newpaper) there is a photo of a baby from Sri Lanka, "Baby 81", who is being claimed by 9 different women who say he is their missing son. Also human interest, and yes, he is gorgeous.
First off this is an altered version, the original e-mail was sent out by Dr. Anuroj Tharasiriroj of Phuket International Hospital. The original e-mail included pictures of the boy.
I guess the only way to know for sure why the good DR. took the time to send this out would be to askDr. Anuroj Tharasiriroj. I will venture a guess, especially after I have seen pictures from the areas hit by the tsunami. The Dr. may have been afraid the boys family had been killed and knew that the more time that went by there would be less of a chance of finding any family. Since the boy was white and apparently didn't speak the local language the Dr. may have figured he was the child of a tourist, this meant that any family would be in another country. He took a chance sending out an e-mail in the hopes someone would recognize the boy.
I was seeing on the news that a big worry is about people claiming children that aren't theirs to put them into 'service'. There hasn't been a surge in child prostitutes, or in children being claimed by a 'parent', but it is something they worry about as a long-term affect I guess. Terribly sad. When I watch the news & they show all the babies & orphans sitting in hospitals, or shelters on mats, I just want to hold my little girl & cry. This is not fun for her, so she struggles to get away from me & then turns off the T.V.
