A New York hospital pulled a 30-second ad about myocarditis in children after Children’s Health Defense (CHD) and numerous doctors accused the hospital of normalizing and trivializing the condition.
NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital in early September published the 30-second ad, which promoted the medical center’s pediatric services for treating the condition. The hospital pulled the ad amid public outcry following three CHD.TV episodes featuring discussions about how the ad appeared to normalize and trivialize myocarditis in children. CHD.TV is produced by Children’s Health Defense.
The ad, “Pediatric Patient Story,” featured a young girl named Suri and transitioned between live-action footage and animation. “I’ve been into fashion since I can remember,” Suri said in the ad. “But one day, I had a stomachache so bad I didn’t want to do anything.” Suri continued: “The team at NewYork-Presbyterian said it was actually my heart. It was severely swollen — something called ‘myocarditis.’ “But doctors gave me medicines and used machines to control my heartbeat. They saved me. So now I can become the next great fashion designer.”