Facebook rejects dad's photo of young son in hospital as too graphic
DURHAM -- Hudson Bond was born on July 18. A week later, his parents found out he needed a new heart.
They turned to Facebook to raise awareness and money for medical costs, but the social media giant said a picture of the infant was too graphic.
ABC11 spoke to Hudson's father, Kevin Bond, at the bedside of his nearly two-month-old son.
Diagnosed with the heart disease cardiomyopathy, Hudson desperately needs a heart transplant to survive.
At the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at Duke Children's Hospital, the boy's surgeons have equipped the child with an artificial heart. It's helping keep Hudson alive, but only buys time for a heart transplant.
"I don't like to think of the odds in a negative way - I think he's going to make it," Bond said. "It's just we need to raise awareness and raise funds."
To raise awareness about the need for infant organ donation, Bond started a Facebook page called "Hudson's Heart." However, when he tried to advertise the page, the social media giant rejected the post.
Facebook said the ad with Hudson's picture was rejected because it was scary, gory or sensational, and evokes a negative response.
"I was really hurt actually. I mean I kind of cried. He's my son, I love him. And to have someone reject a picture... [of] my beautiful son lying in a hospital bed needing help - that really cut me" Bond said.
Bond had no luck contacting Facebook.
"Everything I sent, no one responded," he said.
Yet, the company suggested in its notice that he resubmit the post after consulting Facebook guidelines on appropriate content.
"We love our son, we just want to share his story and raise awareness for kids like him and to see that request denied is hard considering some of the other garbage you see on that page," Bond said.
There's no indication from Facebook that the company has any plans on reversing its decision.
While the ad for "Hudson's Heart" was taken down, the Facebook page remains up.
The family is also raising money to cover the child's mounting medical bills.
