This message is a hoax and should not be forwarded. Sending on this message will help no one. Any message that claims that a company will donate money to help a sick or injured child each time a text message, email, or social media message is forwarded or re-posted is sure to be a hoax.
Message claims that, every time a text or social media message is sent on, AT&T, Verizon or Facebook will donate money to help pay for surgery on a 14 year old boy who was shot six times by his stepfather while attempting to protect his young sister.
Example: 14 YEAR OLD BOY WAS SHOT 6 TIMES BY HIS STEPFATHER . THIS BOY WAS PROTECTING HIS LITTLE 6 YEAR OLD SISTER WHO WAS ABOUT TO BE RAPED BY THIS POOR … EXCUSE OF A MAN . THE LITTLE GIRL DID NOT GET HURT , THANKS TO HER BRAVE OLDER BROTHER . THEIR MOM WAS AT WORK WHEN THIS HAPPENED . NOW THIS BRAVE YOUNG LITTLE BOY IS FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE , BUT DOCTORS SAY HE WILL NOT SURVIVE UNLESS HE GETS AN OPERATION WHICH IS COSTLY AND HIS MOM CANNOT PAY . ALL FACE BOOK COMPANIES HAVE AGREED TO DONATE 45 CENTS FOR EVERY TIME SOMEONE POSTS THIS TO THEIR WALL . SO , PLEASE SHARE THIS ON YOUR WALL . SO , THAT TOGETHER WE CAN HELP SAVE THIS BOYS LIFE . I PASSED THIS MESSAGE DOWN. & “SHARE” FOR A LITTLE LIFE. *HUMANITY COSTS NOTHING*
Updated Context — Charity Hoaxes and What to Watch For
Messages like this follow a very common pattern.
They use an emotional story, often involving a child, and claim that simply sharing or forwarding the message will generate donations from a company.
That is not how donations work.
No company tracks shares, texts, or posts and converts them into money for a specific individual. These claims are designed to spread quickly, not to help anyone.
How Charity Hoaxes Work
Most of these messages include:
- a detailed emotional story
- a claim that a company will donate per share or message
- urgency to act immediately
- no verifiable source or contact information
The goal is simple: Get people to share without thinking
Why People Fall for Them
These messages work because they:
- appeal to empathy
- require no effort beyond sharing
- appear to come from friends or family
People want to help, and the message makes it feel easy.
What to Avoid
- messages that promise donations for sharing or reposting
- stories with no links to verified news or official sources
- posts that rely only on emotion and urgency
- claims involving large companies donating per click or share
If it cannot be verified, it should not be shared.
What to Do Instead
If you want to help:
- look for verified charities or official fundraising pages
- check for coverage from reliable news sources
- donate directly rather than relying on chain messages
Helping is real. These messages are not.
Final Thought
Stories like this continue to circulate because they are emotional and easy to pass along.
But forwarding them does nothing to help the person in the story.
Taking a moment to verify before sharing helps stop these hoaxes from spreading.