Hoax email - Baby Alexandra

I received a hoax email last night, one of many. I tell my crumblier friends to pass them on to me then I check them out. They could check it themselves but I'm the one with the BIGGEST soapbox to spout from.

The latest I received was hopelessly out of date [2005] about a baby, badly burnt in a fire, the story, sadly was genuine, as was the photo of this poor baby [it makes me cry every time I see it], but the baby's name had been changed. Apparently the original email DID have a bank account number where you could donate money.

How can any sick, twisted piece of garbage derive pleasure out of making ordinary, kind and sympathetic people think they can help by forwarding this kind of hoax email, they want their heads testing - I was going to suggest something a bit more violent - like oh, um - having their typing fingers mashed to a pulp with a brick, but decided against it ... 'What? Did I write that after all? Oh dear'

The Email

If you don't forward this___you don't have a heart!

Dear All,

Alexandra came out of a fire alive, but now has to fight for her life and a normal future. She is 14 months old and she has burnt skin all over her body, damage facial bones (as a result of very high temperature). She does not have half of her face. She is in hospital In Krakow - Poland and one of the best specialist is looking after her. However she still has to go through many surgeries and then long rehab. Unfortunately her parents do not have any more money. Therefore we are asking for your help. For each forwarded email her parents will get 3 cents. Please help them and forward that email to as many people as you can!

My advice is if you get any email stating that money will be donated by forwarding it is to delete it and slap the person who sent it to you around the chops [ok, maybe not] or at least check it out, if you forward it you're just making psycho's happy.

There are plenty of places to check hoax email. I use www.hoax-slayer.com but just use any search engine. I simply typed in 'baby alexandra burnt' and there was a lot of similar answers regarding it being a hoax, in future this will be another.

Oh and the Mars close encounter, way out of date - and looking bigger than the moon - forget it.

And how many people sit waiting for something AMAZING! [you're not going to believe this, just forward it and see, you'll be amazed!!] to happen when they've forwarded an email to 5 people? HELLOOO! it's rubbish, just reading it tells you so or how would they know it was going to be amazing before they sent it if it happens after it's gone.

Don't even get me started on chain emails, what sicko's started them, frightening children by telling them they'd die if they didn't forward them to their entire address book within an hour of reading! My [then] 11 year old granddaughter received one and forwarded it to me as I'd told her to. There are lots more similar emails about receiving good luck if you send it to about a zillion people and dire consequences if you don't. I delete them all and [to quote my favourite author Terry Pratchett] I'm still not dead [yet]...