Ever been duped?
For over a month I've been following a blog about a young lady named "Gina" (aka Pepe) who had CF and a double lung transplant and was struggling to stay alive. It was a heart wrenching story. I even posted here and asked you to pray for her.
Her story was all a lie. The whole purpose behind it was to raise money to buy a fraud a Wii. A crime has been committed and I'm sure will be investigated.
Unbelievable!
A few days ago I mentioned in a comment that the latest turn in her story was very strange, and it caused me some concern, but still I chose to believe and give her the benefit of the doubt.
Who knew?
This is sad because it causes a cloud of doubt to hover over other legitimate blogs and over the entire CF community. I hope this young lady gets some help.
You can read the confession of her blogger here.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
13 comments:
It is so weird that all of this is coming out. When I first visited her site I was hooked. When I woke up, it was the first blog I looked at. I just kept hoping that she would get better. I always thought it was strange that none of the antiobiotics were working on her pnuemonia. I guess I always had a feeling that something wasn't right, but for it to actually be true is crazy!
I've followed the story, as well... and yes, I was suspicious... there were just too many things that didn't add up. Ironically, I've been most upset for the memory of sweet little Haley Palmer... don't know why, except I wish that her all too real story of a painful struggle to the end had come to a different conclusion. I guess Reagan's "trust but verify" happened to be great policy. I'll still pray for all parties involved, just for a different type of healing.
You know Rick it happens all over the internet. In so many forums sadly with those with cancer to. I have seen it several times. In blogs and in chats to. I know of person who was dying in a chat room who had a leg removed, had some one telling us all about it. While she was sitting in a bar getting tanked. To bad a friend of ours lived in the area and confirmed it. We to were all suckers. I was I gotta admit I believed them. Then something was weird and it set up a new situation and both people were called out on their actions.
I knew something was up when on Pepe's blog when they started talking about the second transplant I don't know why but it stuck in my gut. It made me wonder what wasn't right there.
I will pray they get the help they need of a different kind
Plus my heart really goes out to those with CF going through all of this.
but still better to be softhearted and sometimes be a sucker than to be hard hearted and cynical.
Wow...I was taken...not by money though. Agh! I took it as face value and went from there.
Thanks for being this to light. When the site closed yesterday I was wondering what happened- did she died? would we ever know? well now we know. Thank you for that!
Laters
Kristen
I've got to agree with blueraindrop.
The situation stinks, and I'm sure that there are many people out there feeling like completely morons, but I'm rather be tender-hearted and occasionally get taken advantage of than to instead assume the worst about everyone all the time.
So dreadfully sad that someone needed to draw attention to themselves in just that particular way - guaranteed to hurt your family more than most, I suspect. Too awful.
Like so many others, I read her blog and prayed for her daily.
Well, I'm sure those prayers weren't wasted - the perpetrator/s desperately need a healing touch from God, just not what we thought.
I am very, very sad.
I found FOP through Alice. I am one of those people that have a really difficult time believing people. In the last year, I have started taking things that people say because I felt like that not trusting people was a flaw of mine. So whenever I read an amazing blog, I never truly know whether to believe it or not. However, I began to believe in the miracles after witnessing Patience and Isaac at C3/blog. And then Nathan's blog. I forgot to guard my heart with FOP blog.
I read another blog where they have micropreemies and she just wrote recently, "This person apparently joined an online parenting forum, and was passing Eden and her story off as a little girl named "Dani" for the past THREE years." She was made aware of the situation by someone who just happened to read her blog happened to stumble upon this parenting forum and see one of the twins being posed as this woman's daughter.
I found it quite odd that there were never any pictures posted on the FOP and also found it hard to believe that a transplant would be performed on someone on ECMO. BUT, I am not all that familiar with CF and Organ Transplanation and ECMO and all those other medical conditions that were on the FOP site.
These people really need our prayers. THey are really really sick just not in the way we imagined. Who knows who is the duper and who was duped.
AND if this story IS true ... I feel really badly for the real person who is going through this.
I was definitely duped by Pepe too. I am such a trusting person and I never thought for a second that she could be a fake. I did think a second transplant when she was so ill was strange and risky but I don't know much about CF or organ donation (beyond what Nate has taught us all)so I trusted her. I am so sad that there are people out there that feel the need to do this. Praying for healing for all involved.
I agree with bluedrops to. I don't want to be known as being cold ,hard hearted or cynical. I just have turned really cautious is all because of being hurt in the past by those online.
I am praying for the healing they need.
I'm a sucker too!!!!!! I have never commented on your blog before. I became aware of so called "Gina" through Nate's blog. I fell hook line and sinker and I am a medical professional myself. I can't believe that someone would do this, I am way too naive sometimes, but not much more wiser. I will forever take what I read on the internet with a grain of salt.
This situation has in no way changed my mind about organ donation or rocked my faith at all in Tricia's story. I will forever be inspired by what I have learned through their journey and my faith is stronger from it.
Sincerely,
Kathryn
Rick,
I too was caught up in the "Pepe" story and feel so sad that someone felt like they had to "pretend" to be sick in order to get attention. I do want to commend you and Gail. You have done a terrific job raising Nate (and I'm sure your others!) I have so enjoyed reading his blog. He has handled the "Pepe" situation (and many others) so eloquently and well. I'll still continue continue to pray that "Pepe" and her friends get the help they need. Hopefully not at the expense of someone who really needs the help.
Take care,
Susan in Southern Cali
Rick,We were all taken in by these people. Hopefully they will get the help yhey obviously need. I am so sorry Tricia has been so hurt by this.
Post a Comment