A mother in Detroit is attempting to figure out how a note with the words “help me” put in her daughter’s underwear got there in the first place.
Nicole Perez discovered the phrase by chance after purchasing Disney-themed clothing for her daughter.
A New York company that distributes garments made in the Philippines received the note, and an inquiry is currently underway.
Tinkerbell-themed underwear was acquired the previous weekend at a mom-to-mom sale.
She was unprepared for the message inside the package when she opened it because she assumed she was just getting a good deal.
A piece of cardboard was taped with the words “Help me!” scrawled on it.
On the reverse of the piece of paper was scribbled the name “MayAnn,” which belonged to a woman. Following the words “Location: Philippines” was a phone number.
The underwear is made in the Philippines and shipped to New York, where Handcraft Manufacturing Corporation prepares them.
“I was terrified and trembling.”
According to Ms Perez, she “felt like everything just collapsed to my stomach.”
She contacted the company through email, and they swiftly responded with an apology and an offer to send her a new pair of underwear.
Ms Perez was shaken and terrified, but her main worry was for the woman who had written the note.
Someone is begging for assistance when stitching together this underwear, so you question if this is forced labour or if they are simply working long hours.
You consider your children and pray that this is not the case. When she decided to contact the number, no one responded.
According to the Philippine American Cultural Center of Michigan, the phone number could belong to a pre-paid smartphone, which is challenging to track down.
Furthermore, they stated that labour rules were in place in the Philippines to safeguard textile workers.
According to Irwin Mizrahi, president of Handcraft Manufacturing, the company that creates children’s apparel, the note looks to have been written by a factory worker.
He has stated that the corporation will investigate both the document’s origin and the abuse allegations’ veracity.
