June 15, 2001
Hoaxes, Urban Myths May Hurt Organ Donation
Persistent and false urban myths and hoaxes circulating on the Internet are gaining new life, with pranksters posting new material about everything from stolen kidneys sold on the black market to human flesh from organ donors sold for human consumption.
One of the longest running myths has been the yarn about the traveler who shares a drink in a bar with a stranger and awakes to find himself in a bathtub of ice missing a kidney. This urban legend is often told from someone's "personal experience" or a friend of a friend, and often set in popular destinations such as Houston, New Orleans, or Las Vegas. Police in all three localities say the claim is an absolute hoax (City of New Orleans Police Department).
This myth has popped up on numerous sites across the Internet, and has been circulated via e-mail messages. Some folklorists claim the roots of this story date back centuries, but it has been told in a transplant setting for at least 10 years.
If you get inquiries about this urban myth, please note that there is absolutely no documented evidence of such activity ever occurring in the U.S. or any other industrialized country. While the tale sounds credible enough to many (even some health professionals), it holds no truth.
Misinformation and rumors surrounding transplantation and the process of organ donation and allocation can put a damper on future donations, say the experts. For more information visit a list of the most common myths about donation.
Internet stories and e-mails continue to circulate in many ways, by word of mouth and even as television and film dramas. These all have a potentially harmful impact on the public's perception of the medical community and organ donation.
If you think you've heard an urban legend or received a suspicious e-mail, don't repeat it and don't send it along. You might check if it is listed at one of the following web sites. The Urban Legend Combat Kit site has messages which visitors can use to cut and paste to send back to those who have unknowingly forwarded urban legends via e-mail.
804-782-4730