MR. ZUCKERBERG: I CANNOT URGE YOU STRONGLY ENOUGH TO CORRECT A VERY SERIOUS HARRASSMENT SITUATION ON FACEBOOK. THIS IS NONSENSE AND IT NEEDS TO STOP.
I am the Co-Founder and President of METAvivor Research and Support. We are a volunteer-led organization dedicated to making a difference for the more than 60,000 American women and men diagnosed annually with metastatic/stage IV breast cancer (MBC). Thirty to thirty-four percent of all breast cancer patients are diagnosed with this disease, including those initially diagnosed at stage 0. Ninety-seven to 99 percent of these individuals die. And they die on average within 18-36 months of diagnosis. It can strike those as young as their teens, though the majority are in their 40s and 50s. Nevertheless, there has been an alarming increased in diagnosis and death for women aged 25 to 39. No one knows why. Yet only 2% of research funds in the US are devoted to stage IV cancer – all cancer types combined. It is for this reason I co-founded METAvivor in 2009 – to make certain there was at least one organization dedicated to trying to save these lives.
The majority of those working in our organization have metastatic breast cancer. This includes me and my very dear friend and critically important Board Member, BETH FAIRCHILD – and Beth is being harassed by one or more people using Facebook as their platform. It is unconscionable to allow it to go on.
BETH FAIRCHILD has been with METAvivor since April 2015. She has impressed all of us with her depth of character, with her kindness, with her generosity, with her devotion to family, and with her dedication to METAvivor. The youngest on our team, she quickly became our social media expert, doubling our number of Facebook followers in only a few months as she worked tirelessly to raise awareness of our community’s disease and its needs while offering virtual support to our 8,000 Facebook followers.
Beth has made contacts with people from all walks of life and is repeatedly sent to represent us with high profile personalities. Executives from pharmaceutical and bio tech companies, those recruiting for public speeches, sports personalities, entrepreneurs and others who have met her in person refer to her, without exception, as an “absolute gem … and she is. Despite the complications of her disease, she works tirelessly to make a difference for others living with metastatic breast cancer.
By profession Beth is a tattoo artist and the owner of a number of tattoo studios. In line with that trade, Beth does areola tattoos so that women who have had mastectomies might feel more normal. She does this free of charge out of the kindness of her heart. It is her gift to these women. Posting photos of these creations on Facebook helps women visualize what an areola tattoo would look like so that they can decide if this is something they might wish to do. There is nothing obscene about a mastectomy or about an areola tattoo. And it falls entirely within the guidelines of Facebook. Yet Beth was suspended for posting these photos. She went off suspension and more complaints were filed. Again she was suspended.
Now I understand that there are numerous complaints being regularly launched against Beth, using whatever photos can be found including completely normal family photos. This is ridiculous. It is clearly a mean-spirited act by persons, who dislike Beth. My guess would be that they are jealous of her popularity. Beth does indeed receive a significant amount of public attention. She deserves it. If others wish to be followed and receive attention, they should endeavor to be more like her rather than lodging unjustified accusations against her.
While most complaints are dismissed by Facebook as invalid, Beth is notified of each and every one which is cruel and disheartening, especially considering all the sacrifices she makes to help our community. Moreover, while we do not know who has begun this negative campaign, your team does know. BETH is the victim; not the perpetrator. The right thing to do is to bar the perpetrators from their use of Facebook … NOT bar the innocent party.
I IMPLORE YOU TO TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION ON THIS SO THAT THE INJUSTICE DOES NOT CONTINUE. I also invite you to view our Facebook page, website and our Guidestar listing to better familiarize yourself with who we are and what we do.
Sincerely,
Dian M. Corneliussen-James, LtCol USAF Ret, GS-15 Ret.
