Re: [Fwd: Thingy] Please read!
From: Tim Behrend (t.behrendauckland.ac.nz)
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1998 00:01:29 -0500
The chain letter about the girl dying of cancer that was just sent out over
this list was a phony, of course. For further information on this
phenomenon, see http://ciac.llnl.gov/ciac/CIACChainLetters.html. In the
meantime, here is a clipping from that site that you can compare the letter
circulated on our lists and the ones archived by CIAC.

Tim Behrend
Auckland, New Zealand

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A Little Girl Dying

Here is an example of a chain letter that preys on the sympathy of others.
It is a hoax because what it claims is impossible. How can the
American Cancer Society possibly know who you sent this to so they can
donate 3 cents? Also, you donate to the Cancer Society, not the
other way around. 

       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!



Jessica Mydek

Here is another sympathy chain letter similar to the "A Little Girl Dying"
chain letter. According to American Cancer Society: "The American
Cancer Society is greatly disturbed by reports of a fraudulent chain letter
circulating on the internet which lists the American Cancer Society as
a "corporate sponsor" but which has in no way been endorsed by the American
Cancer Society. This letter appears to have started on America
Online but has now spread well beyond the online service. There are several
variations of this letter in circulation, including one which has a
picture of "Tickle Me Elmo" and one that is essentially a paraphrase of the
letter below."

       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 [at] AOL.COM



Anthony Parkin

This is another example of a sympathy chain letter regarding a little boy's
dying wish. 

        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


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

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