Misuse of a blog

A few months back a friend of mine posted a blog asking for prayers for Baby Stellan. Curious, I went to her blog and clicked the link and read about this sweet boy. This started my addiction to following Stellan and other children. I have enjoyed being a part of the journey and prayer for a few babies that I have been following. While I have felt saddness from the loss of two little baby girls I followed, I have gained much, much more by seeing the strength of their families and hearing their testimony of their faith in God. There are also many triumphant moments when they overcome obstacles with their health. Seeing the words "Today is the day" will bring a smile to your face when that day means a new heart for a little child.

The mom's and dad's that keep up these blogs are always GREAT about remembering other children or families that are in need of blessings and often ask to remember them in our prayers too. Stellan's mom, McMamma, did just that a couple of months ago. She asked us to prayer for a young, single woman that was pregnant and had recently found out her daughter would be born with Trisomy 13 and Holoprosencephaly, both fatal syndromes, and would possibly not survive birth. I began to follow this person and read about her journey. She wrote beautifully and her thoughts were very touching. She even began something called "His Will Wednesday" where she would take email requests for people that needed prayer in their lives. Her pregnancy progressed and her followers watched and waited for news about her baby. It seemed nothing short of a miracle that her baby had not passed yet and was actually growing. Because of her choice to have a home birth with no medical intervention to keep the baby alive, questions started and doubt began to surface. I wondered about it but couldn't allow myself to think that anyone would create a hoax about a baby. So I kept on believing. This past sunday she went into labor and had her baby. Updates and photos of the baby were posted on her blog and I figured there was no questioning it anymore. To make a long story short, things weren't adding up. The timeline, no medical intervention, photos not matching and a LOT of time being spent tending the blog began to raise questions again.

Through research it has been confirmed that the blog was indeed a hoax and one that the girl(s) have profited greatly from. Although she did not accept money from the blog readers, she did ask for donations from companies that wished to advertise on her blog. Between that and advertising for a company, it looks like her profits are over $18,000. Besides hurting the many people that have remembered her and her baby in their prayers, she took advantage of a young mother that lost her baby 6 months ago to the same diagnosis. I don't really feel hurt, its the mothers that have felt loss firsthand that are now feeling it again because of her that I feel bad for. Not everyone believes that this is a hoax, it was a hard thing for me to stomach so I understand. But the evidence is overwhelming and I know this was a hoax for her own gain. So what was the purpose of "His Will Wednesday"? Gain trust...multiply readers-multiply profits...start the next hoax? Regardless, many people were hurt by the misuse of a blog.

I felt stupid at first because I did have doubts but I was not the only one that fell for it. I couldn't imagine that anyone would use the sickness of a baby as a means of monitary gain and therefore wouldn't allow myself to believe this was a hoax. It may take a while to get over but that does not mean that I wont continue to pray for those that need it. There are many little children that are sick and that need blessings and I still intend on remembering them. Its sad that trusting isn't so easy anymore. Its sad that someone is so desperate for attention that they would go through such great lenghts to make themselves a somebody. I really have no moral to the story, just a way to vent.