Chad Briody

Claim:   The Make-a-Wish Foundation will donate 7¢ per per e-mail forward towards the care of 7-year-old Chad Briody, who is dying of lung cancer and a brain tumor.

Status:   False.

Example:   [Collected via e-mail, 2006]

Origins:   The

above-quoted "dying child" appeal first appeared in our inbox in February 2006 and is simply a reworking of the long-running "Amy Bruce" e-mail hoax with a different name slapped into the text. The underlying falsity remains the same: the Make-A-Wish Foundation will not donate money to anyone based upon the number of times an online appeal is forwarded via e-mail or posted to message boards. The "Chad Briody" message is one of many variants of the same basic hoax, one which falsely claims that the American Cancer Society, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, or some other charitable or medical organization will donate a set amount of money every time a particular appeal is reposted.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation does not in any way assist in procuring medical treatment for sick children. They do work to grant the wishes of youngsters with life-threatening medical conditions, but the Make-A-Wish Foundation is about "enriching the human experience with hope, strength, and joy" by helping to create special days for desperately ill children, not about collecting donations to pay for medical care.

Additional information:
 

Chain Letters (Make-A-Wish Foundation)

Last updated:   5 March 2006