Normally, the birth of a child would be something special to treasure. As a parent, I gush over other people’s kids and welcome the newest members of the parenting community. I’d give my congratulations to all parents both known and unknown.
This morning though, I didn’t want to. 1010 WINS reported that Beyonce and Jay-Z had their little bundle of joy. As I was thinking, “How great for them!”, the reporter announced that they paid $1 million dollars to shut down the entire maternity ward at Lenox Hill Hospital. Workers had to turn in their cell phones to avoid pictures getting out of their newborn. While I get that they are protecting their child (after all I’m a parent, too), I did not feel it was fair for them or the hospital administrators to impose that on other parents.
According to the report, parents of a set of premature twins were not allowed to see their newborns in the NICU. I was floored and livid on behalf of these parents. And for the parents and families of other people who had babies at the same time.
How is this fair to us “regular” people? How is that fair to parents who want to see their children or families who wanted to celebrate new additions to their broods? Especially when early bonding is so important. What if something happened to those premature twins and the parents weren’t there? What then? The birth of a child is the right of any person on the planet, celebrity or not.
I feel that if celebrities want that kind of security and privacy, they should pay to provide it. That being said, Beyonce and Jay-Z could have spent that $1 million dollars on creating a maternity ward on their property rather than in a public hospital used by everyone. Everyone deserves to have that special time with their babies as well as with family and friends. Shame on the administrators of Lenox Hill Hospital for allowing this kind of infringement on the rights of the everyday people who keep them running. A hospital should not allow this to happen simply because of money. Other celebrities have taken it upon themselves to get private rooms to give birth and I commend them for it.
Yes, protect your child. Yes, keep them safe. But, don’t do it at the expense of other families who want the same for their children. There are 7 billion people on this planet and fairness is something everyone deserves regardless of wealth, background, etc.
Update: After buzz from this original post, I received links further discussing these events. Please check them out.
Hospital Press Release
People.com
TMZ.com
1010 WINS
