Burn Victim Safyre Terry Asks for Christmas Cards-Truth!
Summary of eRumor:
Burn victim Safyre Terry, whose entire family was killed in an act of arson, has asked for strangers to mail her Christmas cards.
The Truth:
It’s true that Safyre Terry has asked that Christmas cards be sent to her from all over the world.
The 8-year-old burn victim’s request for Christmas cards from strangers went viral after an message was posted on the image-sharing website Imgur. The post, which shows a photo of Safyre holding a Christmas card, reads:
Let’s make this little girls Christmas wish come true. She wants to fill up her card tree. Please take a few minutes and send a Christmas card her way, she will love receiving cards from all over the world.
Safyre Terry’s aunt and legal guardian Liz Dolder told the Washington Post that the viral campaign started after she purchased a Christmas card tree for the Safyre at a Goodwill store:
“Everything is magical,” the aunt said. “I went to Goodwill and bought a Christmas card tree. And she helped me put it up. When we got our first Christmas card, she was so excited. … It was just incredible.”
Dolder said Safyre turned to her and declared: “I can’t wait to fill it all up.”
And Dolder told her: “Honey, I don’t think we’re going to end up filling that.”
But when Dolder posted a photo online showing Safyre with the card tree, her friends came through.
Those who saw the request understandably questioned whether it was real or not. Unfortunately, “sick child scams’ in which scammers use a tragedy involving a child to solicit fraudulent donations have been common. But the story of Safyre, and her request for Christmas cards, is real.
Safyre Terry was severely burned in an act of arson that killed her father and three sisters in Upstate New York in May 2013. There hasn’t been a conviction in the case, but prosecutors say they have linked a suspect to the crime through cell phone records.
Safyre Terry’s family has asked that Christmas cards be mailed to:
Safyre
P.O. Box 6126
Schenectady NY 12306