Sympathy Hoaxes
Sympathy hoaxes describe some person or company that has had something terrible happen to them such as an accident or terminal disease. In some cases, these hoaxes may have described a real person however that person has grown up, gotten cured, and would really like to stop receiving all the e-mail. The hoaxes are generally of the do this to send help or make a wish type.  The real problem with sending out a warnings like these is that there is no way to stop them after the problem is resolved. While this is a good way to get the word out about something important and time limited such as a missing child, it might be better to ask readers to check some web page to see if the problem has been resolved before sending the message to all their friends. Another option is to put a date on the message (say two weeks in the future) and ask the readers to not forward the message after that date. The writer can always send out a new message with a new date if the problem has not yet been resolved.
A Little Girl Dying  A Little Girl Dying Again???  Little Girl Dying of Leukemia Hoax  Little Girl With No Arms Hoax  Jessica Mydek  Tamara Martin  Dave Matthews  Anthony Parkin  Boy With Just A Head Spoof  Amy Bruce Hoax  Timothy Flyte Hoax	Jada Cohen Hoax  Kalin Relek Hoax  Krystava Schmidt Warning  Kelsey Brooke Jones Warning  Craig Shelford Make-A-Wish  Aaron Russell Steinmetz  García Márquez Farewell Letter  Penny Brown Hoax  Chris Mineo Hoax

A Little Girl Dying

  You guys..... this isn't a chain letter, but a choice for all of us
  to save a little girl that's going to die of a serious and fatal form of
  cancer.  Please send this to everyone you know...or don't know at that.This
  little girl has 6 months left to live her life, and as her last wish, she
  wanted to send a chain letter telling everyone to live their life to fullest,
  since she never will.  She'll never make it to prom,graduate from high school,
  or get married and have a family of her own. By you sending this to as many
  people as possible, you can give her and her family a little hope, because
  with every name that this is sent to, the American Cancer Society will
  donate 3 cents per name to her treatment and recovery plan.  One guy sent this
  to 500 people !!!!  So, I know that we can send it to at least 5 or 6.  Come
  on you guys.... and if you're too selfish to waste 10-15 minutes and
  scrolling this and forwarding it to EVERYONE, just think it could be you one
  day....and it's not even your $money$, just your time. Please help this
  little girl out guys, I know you can do it!! I love you guys!

A Little Girl Dying Again???

PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO HELP THIS LITTLE GIRL ALL FORWARDED E-MAILS 
ARE TRACKED TO OBTAIN THE TOTAL COUNT. 

Dear All: 

PLEASE pass this mail on to everybody you know. It is the request of a
special little girl who will soon leave this world as she has cancer. 
Thank you for your effort, this isn't a chain letter, but a choice for
all of us to save a little girl that's dying of a serious and fatal form
of cancer. 

Please send this to everyone you know... or don't know. This little girl
has 6 months left to live, and as her dying wish, she wanted to send a
letter telling everyone to live their life to the fullest, since she
never will. Shel'll never make it to prom, graduate from high school, or
get married and have a family of her own. 

By you sending this to as many people as possible, you can give her and
her family a little hope, because with every name that this is sent to,
The American Cancer Society will donate 3 cents per name to her
treatment and recovery plan. One guy sent this to 500 people!!!! 
So I know that we can send it to at least 5 or 6. Just think it could be
you one day. It's not even your money, just your time!!! 

"PLEASE PASS ON AS A LAST REQUEST" 

Dr. Dennis Shields, Professor 
Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology Albert Einstein
College of Medicine of Yeshiva University 
1300 Morris Park Avenue
Bronx, New York 10461

SLOW DANCE

Have you ever watched kids
On a merry-go-round?
Or listened to the rain
Slapping on the ground?
Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight?
Or gazed at the sun into the fading night?
You better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Do you run through each day
On the fly?
When you ask How are you?
Do you hear the reply?
When the day is done
Do you lie in your bed
With the next hundred chores
Running through your head?
You'd better slow down
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
Ever told your child,
We'll do it tomorrow?
And in your haste,
Not see his sorrow?
Ever lost touch,
Let a good friendship die
Cause you never had time
To call and say,"hi"
You'd better slow down.
Don't dance so fast.
Time is short.
The music won't last.
When you run so fast to get somewhere
You miss half the fun of getting there.
When you worry and hurry through your day,
It is like an unopened gift....
Thrown away.
Life is not a race.
Do take it slower
Hear the music
Before the song is over.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO HELP THIS LITTLE GIRL.
ALL FORWARDED E-MAILS ARE TRACKED TO OBTAIN THE TOTAL COUNT.

Dear All:

PLEASE pass this mail on to everybody you know.
It is the request of a special little girl who
will soon leave this world as she has cancer.
Please send this to everyone you know or don't know.
This little girl has 6 months left to live, and as 
her dying wish, She wanted to send a letter telling 
everyone to live their life to the fullest, since 
she never will. She'll never make it to prom, 
graduate from high school, or get married and have 
a family of her own. By you sending this to as 
many people as possible, you can give her and her 
family a little hope, because with every name 
that this is sent to, The American Cancer Society 
will donate 3 cents per name to her treatment 
and recovery plan.

One guy sent this to 500 people! So I know that we 
can send it to at least  5 or 6. Just think it could 
be you one day. It's not even your money, just your time!

PLEASE PASS ON AS A LAST REQUEST

Dr. Dennis Shields, Professor
Department of Developmental and Molecular Biology
1300 Morris Park Avenue
Bronx, New York 10461

Little Girl Dying of Leukemia Hoax

Every couple of years the "Little Girl Dying" hoax comes back again and this year is no 
different. The following hoax and picture are making the rounds of the Internet. The 
picture shows the youngest looking 10 year old I have ever seen. Maybe this should be 
called the fountain of youth hoax??? 

Please note that AOL and ZDNET cannot track e-mail and are not in the business of giving 
away money for chainletters. 

Subject: Leukaemia - Please read then Forward

If you delete this ... you seriously don't have a heart.  

Hi, I am a 29 year old father. My wife and I have had a 
wonderful life together. God blessed us with a child too. 
Our daughter's name is Rachel, and she is 10 years old.
 
Not long ago the doctors detected brain cancer and in her 
little body. There is only one way to save her...an 
operation.  Sadly, we don't have enough money to pay the 
price.  AOL and ZDNET have agreed to help us.  The only 
way they can help us is this way, I send this email to 
you and you send it to other people.  AOL will track this 
email and count how many people get it.

Every person who opens this email and sends it to at 
least 3 people will give us 32 cents.

Please help us.  

Sincerely 

George Arlington

And here is a variant with the words put on the picture. If you look closely, 
you will see that they changed the age to 10 months instead of 10 years 
though this baby still looks a little young for 10 months.

click for larger image

A recent variant adds the following poetry to the hoax.

TO MY CHILD:
Just for this morning, I am going to smile when I
see your face and laugh when I feel like crying.

Just for this morning, I will let you choose what
you want to wear, and smile and say how perfect it is.

Just for this morning, I am going to step over the
laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play.

Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in
the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle 
of yours together.

Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone
and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the 
backyard and blow bubbles.

Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, 
not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine 
for the ice cream truck, and I will buy you one 
if he comes by.

Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what 
you are going to be when you grow up, or second guess 
every decision I have made where you are concerned.

Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake 
cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to fix them.

Just for this afternoon, I will take us to
McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you 
can have both toys.

Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms
and tell you a story about how you were born and 
how much I love you.

Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the
tub and not get angry.

Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late
while we sit on the porch and count all the stars.

Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for
hours, and miss my favorite TV shows.

Just for this evening when I run my finger through 
your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful 
that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.

I will think about the mothers and fathers who are 
searching for their missing children, the mothers 
and fathers who are visiting their children's graves 
instead of their bedrooms, and mothers and fathers 
who are in hospital rooms watching their children 
suffer senselessly, and screaming inside that they 
can't handle it anymore.

And when I kiss you good night I will hold you a 
little tighter, a little longer. It is then, that 
I will thank God for you, and ask him for nothing,
except one more day.............

Hi. I am a 29 year old father. Me and my wife have
had a wonderful life
together. God blessed us with a child too. Our
daughter's name is Rachel,
and she is 10 years old. Not long ago did the
doctors detect brain cancer in
her little body. There is only one way to save her
and that is an operation.

Sadly we don't have the money for the operation.
AOL and Zdnet have agreed to help us. The only way
they can help is this:
If you send this email to other people, AOL will
track this email and count
how many people get it. Every person that opens this
email and sends it to
at least 3 people will give us 32c.

Please help us.
George Arlington

Little Girl With No Arms Hoax

And yet another dying little girl, this one with bone cancer. I called the hospital and they 
would appreciate it if you did not send cards there as they just have to return them. 

THERE IS A 9 YEAR OLD GIRL BY THE NAME OF FAITH HOEMISTEINE IN CINCINNATI
OHIO THAT IS DIEING OF BONE CANCER. THEY HAVE ALREADY AMPUTATED BOTH HER
ARMS AND LEGS. BEFORE SHE DIES SHE HAS A WISH. THAT WISH IS TO GET INTO
THE GUINNESS WORLD BOOK OF RECORDS FOR RECEIVING THE MOST GREETING CARDS. 
HER ADDRESS IS:

                                FAITH HOEMISTEINE
                                C/O SHRINE HOSPITAL
                                3229 BURNETTS
                                CINCINNATI, OHIO 45229-3095

LETS MAKE HER WISH COME TRUE.

Jessica Mydek

  LITTLE JESSICA MYDEK IS SEVEN YEARS OLD AND IS SUFFERING FROM AN ACUTE AND VERY
  RARE CASE OF CEREBRAL CARCINOMA. THIS CONDITION CAUSES SEVERE MALIGNANT BRAIN 
  TUMORS AND IS A TERMINAL ILLNESS. THE DOCTORS HAVE GIVEN HER SIX MONTHS TO LIVE.
  AS PART OF HER DYING WISH, SHE WANTED TO START A CHAIN LETTER TO INFORM PEOPLE
  OF THIS CONDITION AND TO SEND PEOPLE THE MESSAGE TO LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST AND 
  ENJOY EVERY MOMENT, A CHANCE THAT SHE WILL NEVER HAVE.  FURTHERMORE, THE
  AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY AND SEVERAL CORPORATE SPONSORS HAVE AGREED TO DONATE
  THREE CENTS TOWARD CONTINUING CANCER RESEARCH  FOR EVERY NEW PERSON THAT GETS 
  FORWARDED THIS MESSAGE. PLEASE GIVE JESSICA AND ALL CANCER VICTIMS A CHANCE.

  IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, SEND THEM TO THE AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY AT ACS@AOL.COM

Tamara Martin

And, another one on the same theme.

Hello. My name is Tamara Martin and I have severe lung and throat cancer due 
to second hand smoke. This chain was a final attempt to help solve my problem. 
For every one person that this letter is sent to, the national lung and cancer 
association will donate 6 cents to help me and other people like me become healthy 
again. If you do not pass this letter on, my life and memory will soon both be gone. 
So please, try to send this to at least 10 people. It is for a good cause. (By the 
way, be sure one of the people you send it to is "Cool12@AOL.COM" as he keeps track 
of the names that have passed this along.) I give my blessing to those who pass this along. 

To those too selfish to take 2 minutes to do this, what goes around comes around. 

Thank you.

Dave Matthews

This one combines both the Little Girl Dying and Tamara Martin hoaxes into one letter 
supposedly coming from Dave Matthews of the Dave Matthews Band. As with the others 
of this type, there is no way Dave Matthews could know if you have sent an e-mail to 
anyone so how can he know to donate money.

  HI! This is Dave Matthews from The Dave Matthews Band. I got America Online
  just a little while ago and my screenname will be sent to you if you pass
  this on. I get a list of the people who send this to at least another 5
  people online and my secratary will send all of you my screenname. I go
  online at least once a week. The reason I am doing this is because this
  little girl needs our help and I thought that I could use my fame to help
  out this sick little girl. Ok Listen I Just Spent 13 hours Getting Screen 
  Names Just So that I Could Help a Little Girl So Read The bottom 
  This isn't a chain letter.
 
  Ok you guys..... This isn't a chain letter, but a choice for all of us to
  save a little girl that's dying of a serious and fatal form of cancer.
  Please send this to everyone you know...or don't know at that.  This little
  girl  has 6 months left to live, and as her dying wish, she wanted to send a
  chain letter telling everyone to live their life to the fullest, since she
  never will.  She'll never make it to prom, graduate from high school, or get
  married and have a family of her own. But by you sending this to as many
  people as possible, you can give her and her family a little hope, because
  with every name that this is sent to, the American cancer society will
  donate 3 cents per name to her treatment and recovery plan.  One guy sent
  this to 500 people!!!! So, I know that we can send it to at least 5 or 6.  
  Come on you guys.... And if you're too damn selfish to waste 10-15 minutes 
  scrolling this and forwarding it to EVERYONE, (more than one person): 
  you're one sick puppy, and two: just think it could be you one day....
  and it's not even your $money$, just your time.  I know that ya'll will 
  impress me !!!!  I love ya'll!!!!!

  Another that I am putting money towards is: Tamara Martin and she has severe
  lung cancer due to second hand smoke. This chain was a final attempt to get
  her healthy again. Every letter sent gets 6 cents from me. Please send this
  to 10 people. (by the way for those who take 2 minutes to send this, what
  comes around goes around.)
 
  I am putting a lot of money towards this and thanks to all my fans-
    I
      love
         ya'll!!
 
             Love,
             Dave Matthews

Anthony Parkin

  THIS IS NOT A JOKE.

  This little boy at the Mayo Clinic is very sick and he knows that he
  will die. Well you know how they have those "Make a Wish Foundations"
  that give terminally ill kids a dying wish, well this is kind of like
  that. He likes computers and his wish is to live forever by having his
  chain letter be eternally passed on the Internet. This is not some joke.
  And for those of you who care please send this to as many people as possible
  so his wish can be granted. (THIS IS NOT A CHAIN LETTER JUST DO SOMETHING
  NICE FOR ONCE!)

  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
  From: Anthony Parkin
  Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996
  To:
  Subject: My dying wish

  My name is Anthony Parkin, and you don't know me. I'm 7 years old,
  and I have lukemea.  I found your name using gopher, and I would
  like for you to carry out my dying wish of starting a chain letter.
  Please send this letter to five people you know so I can live forever.

                         Thank You very much

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  Friendship and love are the best gift that a person can recieve.
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Boy With Just A Head Spoof

  I am a very sick boy little boy. My mother is typing this for me, because
  I can't. She is crying. (Don't cry, Mommy!) Mommy is always sad, but
  she says it's not my fault. I asked her if it was God's fault, but she
  didn't answer, and only started crying harder, so I don't ask her that
  anymore.

  The reason she is so sad is that I'm so sick. I was born without a body.
  It doesn't hurt, except when I go to sleep. The doctors gave me an
  artificial body. My body is a burlap bag filled with leaves. The doctors
  said that was the best they could do on account of us havin' no money or
  insurance. I would like to have a body transplant, but we need more
  money.
 
  Mommy doesn't work because she said employers don't hire crying people. I
  said, "Don't cry, Mommy," and she hugged my burlap body. Mommy always
  gives me hugs, even though she's allergic to burlap, and it chafes her
  real bad. I hope you will help me.

  You can help me if you forward this e-mail. Dr. Van Nostrem from the
  clinic said if you foward this e-mail then Bill Gates will team up with
  AOL and do a survey with NASA. Then the astronauts will collect prayers
  from school children all over America and take them up to space so that
  the angels can hear them better. Then they will go to the Pope, and he
  will take up a collection in church and send the money to the doctors.
  The doctors could help me get better then. Maybe one day I will be able
  to play baseball. Or maybe just use my lungs and heart, when the doctors
  make them. The doctors said that every time you forward this letter, the
  astronauts can take another prayer to the angels.

  Please help me. Mommy is so sad, and I want a body. I don't want my
  leaves to rot before I turn 10. If you don't forward this e-mail, that's
  OK. Mommy says you're a mean heartless shithead who doesn't care about a
  poor little boy with only a head. She says that, if you don't stew in the
  raw pit of your own guilt-ridden stomach, she hopes you die a long slow
  horrible death so you can burn forever in the tar pits of hell. What kind
  of goddamned person are you that you can't take five fucking minutes to
  forward this to all your friends so that they can feel guilt and shame for
  the rest of their day, and then maybe help a poor, bodiless nine-year-old
  boy?

  Please help me. This really sucks. I try to be happy but it's hard. I
  wish I had a puppy. I wish I could hold a puppy. One time I had a puppy
  but he ate my leaves.

  Thank You.
 
  The boy with just a head. And a burlap sack for a body.
  ~~~~

Amy Bruce Hoax

This one is also a joke. 

  Subject: FW: Cancer (do not delete)-just forward!
 
 
  You must forward!
  Hi, my name is Amy Bruce.I am 7 years old, and I have severe lung cancer.
  I also have a large tumor in my brain, from repeated beatings. The doctors
  say I will die soon if this isn't fixed, and my family can't pay the bills.
  The Make AWish Foundation, has agreed to donate 7 cents for every name on
  this list. For those of you who send this along, I thank you so much, but 
  for those who don't send it, what goes around comes around.
  Have a Heart, please send this. Please, if you are a kind person, send this
  on.

Timothy Flyte Hoax

Another hoax claiming that someone will get a donation for every email sent. You might 
ask yourself why a hospital would donate to some organization called the National Diesese 
Society (whatever that is). Hospitals are generally the recipients of donations and grants, 
not the reverse. 

  Subj: Fwd: How would you like he power to save lives?
  Date: 97-12-29 03:03:05 EST
  From: OOmental
  To:   SandMan 47

  Hello, my name is Timothy Flyte.  I have severe ostriopliosis of the liver.
  (My liver is extremely inflamed).  Modern Science has yet to find a cure.
  Valley Childrens hospital has agreed to donate 7 cents to the National Diesese
  Society for every name on this letter.  Please send it around as much as you
  can.

  Thank you,     
                        Tim

  PS: For those of you who dont take 5 minutes to do this, what goes around
  comes around. You can help sick people, and it costs you nothing, yet you are
  too lazy to do it?  You will get what you deserve.

Jada Cohen Hoax

And yet one more hoax claiming that someone will get a donation for every email sent. 

  Dear Friends
  My name is Anna Cohen and I live in Albany New York. My daughter
  Liz recently had a baby girl named Jada 2 months early. Jada has
  many problems with her heart and lungs and medical costs have become
  extremely expensive. Jada was recently moved to a hospital in
  California and the move was very expensive. A billionaire in California
  has promised to give $. 05 for every time this email is forwarded.
  If you wouldn't mind forwarding this to everyone on your list I would
  greatly appreciate it as well as my daughter and little Jada. This
  could save a life.

  Please have a heart and forward this. Remember: What goes around
  comes around.
 
  Thank you,
  Anna Cohen

Kalin Relek Hoax

More donations for passing this e-mail on. It is supposed to have some encoding that lets 
it be counted by someone named BCC. I suppose that this is an attempt to trick people into 
thinking that the BCC line in the mail header is something other than Blind Carbon Copy. 

  Hello, my name is Katie Relek, and I live in Alabama.
  Well, this is an important for you to read, because I
  really need your cooperation. It is so imporant for
  you to know about what I want to tell you. Ok, let me
  start.

  Ok, a couple of days ago, my son, he's 7 years old, his
  name is Kalin. Well, he was playing on the street,
  infront of our house, and then from out of no where,
  this car came out and crashed into him! I was sooo
  frightened and angered at the driver, but it ended out
  to be, that the drivers brakes had been shot, and he
  wasn't able to stop. Luckily, my son, was able to
  avoid death, but he is in very serious condition.
  Right now, as I speak, he's in the hospital, but the
  thing is, he has the serious injury to himself. It's
  internal bleeding, and it's bad to say, but we don't
  have any health insurance, and we don't have enough
  money to pay for the operation. So I made a deal with
  a company, BCC inc. And they told me, for every person
  that will foward this email, he'll donate 5 cents To
  the operation. THIS IS NO JOKE. We attached this type
  of encoding, that tracked how many times this message
  was fowarded. SO PLEASE, FOWARD THIS LETTER TO EVERY
  PERSON ON YOUR LIST. IT WILL BE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!!! 
  THANK YOU SO MUCH

Krystava Schmidt Warning

This message describes a real lost child in Minnesota. The child was actually lost in July of 
1998 and the mother contacted police and sent out this message. The child was found two 
days later (see the Mounds View city net) but there was no way to stop this message. The 
police department in Mounds View would appreciate it if people stopped calling them. 

If you get a message about a missing child and feel you just have to send it on. Spend a few 
minutes to check it out first with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to see 
if the child is listed as missing. It might save you from sending on a hoax or old message. Also, 
if the message is more than a few weeks old, it is likely to be completely out of date so do not 
send it on. 

  Subject: PLEASE FORWARD THIS MISSING CHILD
 
 
  PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE ON!
  My name is Christine Schmidt. I live in Mounds View,
  Minnesota and my little 20 month old girl is missing.
  Her name is Krystava Patients Schmidt. She was last seen
  with an acquaintance of mine named Becky(Rebecca) Lynn
  Dearmond on July 10, 1997. Becky took my grandmother's
  car and Krystava. The car is a 1997 blue Neon license
  plate number ANX 437.  I need your
  help....please! I am sending a photo with this letter in
  hopes that you will pass this letter to everyone you
  know on the Internet and print the photo of Krystava and
  post it wherever you can in your neighborhood. If you
  have seen her, or suspect anything suspicious,please
  contact the Mounds View Police
  at (612) 484-9155 as soon as possible. PLEASE forward
  this  letter to as many people you know and post the
  picture of my little girl wherever you can. Please pray
  for us too! Thank you in advance for your support and
  cooperation. Christine Schmidt

  GUYS...PLEASE, PLEASE TAKE THIS SERIOUS AND FORWARD IF
  YOU DELETE YOU HAVE NO HEART!!!

 
 

Back to Sympathy Hoaxes

Kelsey Brooke Jones Warning

Another missing child. From reports we have seen, this child was found playing at a 
neighbor's house within a couple of hours of being lost. This warning, though, is still 
going around more than a year later.

  Subject: PLEASE KEEP THIS GOING
 
  I am asking you all, begging
  you to please forward this email on
  to anyone and everyone. As
  most all of you know, I have a 5 year
  old daughter named Kelsey Brooke
  Jones. We are from Southern Minnesota.
  She has been missing since
  4pm Oct.11, 1999. The police were
  notified shortly after. If anyone
  anywhere knows anything, sees anything,
  please contact me if you have
  my number. The police don't
  recommend I put my number online, but you
  can contact the Police, a missing
  person report has been filed.
  I am including a picture of her.
  All prayers are appreciated!!
  I hope I have covered enough East Coast,
  Midwest, and West Coast
  people to spread out the search for this
  little girl. It only takes 2 seconds
  to "forward" this on, if it was your
  child, you would want all the help you could get.

 
 

Back to Sympathy Hoaxes

Craig Shelford Make-A-Wish Request

Craig Shelford wanted to be in the record books but we suspect that he and the 
Make-a-Wish Foundation would really like it if everyone would stop sending them 
business cards. According to the Make-A-Wish foundation, Craig did have a request, 
but it was to another foundation. He wanted to receive greeting cards and after 
receiving 16 million of them by 1990 would like them to stop. He survived the tumor 
and went to college. 

  Dear Friend:
  We have been asked to participate in a request 
  that a business card be sent to Craig Shelford 
  at the address shown below.  Seven year-old 
  Craig has a brain tumor and has little time to 
  live.  Craig turned in a wish to the Children's 
  Make-A-Wish Foundation expressing his desire to 
  have an entry in the World Book of Records for 
  the largest collection of business cards received 
  by one individual.  Please take the time to retype 
  this letter on your letterhead and send it to 20 
  businesses of your choice to help Craig's
  wish come true.
  PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE IN YOUR RESPONSE AS TIME 
  IS OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE.
  Please send your business card to:
  Craig Shelford
  C/O Make-A-Wish Foundation
  320 Perimeter Center, East Wing
  Atlanta, Georgia   30358

Aaron Russell Steinmetz

Aaron Russell Steinmetz was found in February 1999 but this message is still 
circulating 6 months later. 

  My name is Amanda Steinmetz
  I live in Summerfield, Florida.
  My 3 ½ year little boy is missing.
  His name is Aaron Russell Steinmetz.
  He was last seen with his father
  Michael Anthony Steinmetz
  on December 19, 1998 at 3:00pm
  leaving a family wedding.
  They are traveling in a 1991
  Chevy Astro Van
  Solid black with dark black
  window tint license plate # SFK47Q.
  I am asking that you help me by
  forwarding this letter to
  everyone you know.
  If you have seen or suspect
  anything suspicious,
  PLEASE contact the Marion County
  Sherriff at (352) 732-9111 as soon as
  possible.
  Thank you for your support and
  cooperation
  
     Amanda Steinmetz

García Márquez Farewell Letter

Recently, the text of a poem called "La marioneta" has been passed around the Internet, 
as well as run in several Latin American newspapers. Attributed to García Márquez and 
believed to be a "farewell letter" to his friends, it was uncovered to really be the work of 
a ventriloquist named Johnny Welch. A good description of the hoax is found in a 
Reuters article publisned in the LA Times.

  A GENIUS BIDS FAREWELL
 
  Gabriel Garcia Marquez has retired from public life due to health
  reasons:  cancer of the lymphnodes. It seems that it is getting
  worse.
 
  He has sent a farewell letter to his friends, and thanks to the
  Internet it is spreading.  This short text, written by one of the
  most brilliant Latin Americans in recent times, is truly moving.
 
  "If for an instant God were to forget that I am a rag doll and gifted
  me with a piece of life, possibly I wouldn't say all that I think,
  but rather I would think of all that I say. I would value things, not for
  their worth but for what they mean. I would sleep little, dream
  more,understanding that for each minute we close our eyes we lose
  sixty seconds of light.
 
  "I would walk when others hold back, I would wake when others sleep.
 
  "I would listen when others talk, and how I would enjoy a good
  chocolate ice cream! If God were to give me a piece of life, I would
  dress simply, throw myself face first into the sun, baring not only
  my body but also my soul.  My God, if I had a heart, I would write my
  hate on ice, and wait for the sun to show.. Over the stars I would paint
  with a Van Gogh dream a Benedetti poem, and a Serrat song would be
  the serenade I'd offer to the moon. With my tears I would water roses, to
  feel the pain of their thorns, and the red kiss of their petals...
 
  "My god, if I had a piece of life... I wouldn't let a single day pass
  without telling the people I love that I love them. I would convince
  each woman and each man that they are my favorites, and I would live
  in love with love. I would show men how very wrong they are to think
  that they cease to be in love when they grow old, not knowing that they
  grow old when they cease to be in love! To a child I shall give wings, but
  I shall let him learn  to fly on his own. I would teach the old that
  death does not come with old age, but with forgetting. So much have I
  learned from you, oh men...
 
  "I have learned that everyone wants to live on the peak of the
  mountain, without knowing that real happiness is in how it is scaled.
  I have learned that when a newborn child squeezes for the first time
  with his tiny fist his father's finger, he has him trapped forever. I
  have learned that a  man has the right to look down on another only
  when he has to help the other get to his feet. From you I have learned
  so many things,  but in truth they won't be of much use, for when I
  keep them within this suitcase, unhappily shall I be dying."
 
  GABRIEL GARCIA MARQUEZ

Penny Brown Hoax

The Penny Brown hoax claims to have come from a Monzine Jang in Calgary but if you 
call the phone number, you get a recording that says:

If you are calling about an e-mail about a missing girl, please do not forward it. She is not the daughter of Monzine Jang. Monzine has contacted the Calgary police and missing children organizations and she believes this is a hoax.

PLEASE LOOK AT PICTURE THEN FORWARD

I am asking you all, begging you to please, forward this email
on to anyone and everyone you know, PLEASE. My 9 year old girl,
Penny Brown, is missing. She has been missing for now
two weeks. It is still not too late, Please help us.

If anyone anywhere knows anything, sees anything, please
contact me at zicozicozico@hotmail.com I am including a
picture of her. All prayers are appreciated!! It only takes 
2 seconds to forward this on, if it was your child, you would 
want all the help you could get. 

Thank you for your kindness, hopefully you can help us.

Monzine Jang
Office Administrator
G208, Health Sciences Centre
Faculty of Medicine
University of Calgary

403- xxx-xxxx
403- xxx-xxxx (fax)

 

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Chris Mineo Hoax

This message has been circulating since early 2001. There is also a variant that has 
the date Chris was missing changed to May 11, 2001. 

The snopes site has done some extensive checking on this one and found no evidence of 
any missing person report in New York or to the FBI for anyone by this name. However, 
some of the readers of the snopes site claim to have contacted the Minos and that Chris 
was found and is home safe. 

Hoax or not, this message is not valid and should not be forwarded. 

I am asking you all, begging you to please, forward this email on to
anyone and everyone you know, PLEASE. I have a 5 year old son named
Christopher John Mineo Jr,  nickname C.J.  I am from Brooklyn N.Y. He has
been missing since November of 98.  If anyone anywhere knows anything,
sees anything, please contact the original screen name that sent this.
Which is CMINEO0295@aol.com I am including a  picture of him.
  All prayers are appreciated!!  It only takes 2 seconds to forward
this on, if it  was your child, you would want all the help you could get.
     
Please.
     
Christopher John Mineo Sr

 

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