# What true story inspired this episode of Law & Order? \*SPOILERS\* **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 23, 2002, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-story-inspired-this-episode-of-law-order-spoilers/129275 "2002-09-23T14:47:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-story-inspired-this-episode-of-law-order-spoilers/129275/1 "2002-09-23T14:47:18Z")
I caught an episode of _Law & Order: CI_ this weekend and it was preceded by a message advising the viewer that, while inspired by true events, s/he is watching a work of fiction. Usually, they don’t precede the episode with that caveat and when they do, I can tell on what news event it is based. This episode, however, stumped me. It was about a girl who had cancer and wrote a book about her ordeal titled _Through the Darkness_ or something close to that. Her book inspired many people with its young author’s courage and ability to blossom in adversity. It also prevented people from recognizing they were being swindled when they bought her expensive medical equipment or paid for her prescription drugs. It turned out that the girl didn’t really exist and her foster mother invented her as a scam. On what recent events was this episode based? ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-story-inspired-this-episode-of-law-order-spoilers/129275/2 "2002-09-23T15:17:38Z")
This sounds vaguely like the story of Kaycee Nicole – the short version is that her online diary about her struggles with cancer, which had created quite a following, turned out to be untrue, and in fact, she didn’t exist at all. Two major differences though, from what I remember of the story when it was current in the news, the “mother” who invented Kaycee Nicole and her diary wasn’t exactly running a scam. She did accept gifts, but monetary gain didn’t seem to be her primary purpose. Also, a big deal was made at the time that this all happened ONLINE, which isn’t part of the L&O story. You know, the usual, “people can lie ON THE INTERNET, which just shows how TERRIBLE the INTERNET is. Because the big, bad internet will LIE TO YOU.” News article on this here: > **[The short life of Kaycee Nicole](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2001/may/28/internetnews.mondaymediasection)** > > For two years, a young American girl recounted her brave struggle against leukaemia in a daily online diary. This month she died. Thousands of web-users sent condolences. But, as Bobbie Johnson reveals, there was just one problem ... ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-story-inspired-this-episode-of-law-order-spoilers/129275/3 "2002-09-23T16:11:05Z")
There was also a story featured in one of the mags I read semi - regularly (Chatelaine) about a woman who went online to a lot of Lung Cancer sites and claimed to be dying. Her story was told in a very inspiring way and many people were moved by it. She even stayed with some of them when she needed a place. It was later found out that not only was she not dying from it, she had never been diagnosed with it. I seem to recall there was a book she was writing about her experiences, which, of course, were on permanent hiatus after she was found out. It was sort of sad really, even after she was confronted she still said she had it and was dying. She even does motivational speaking - [http://www.chatelaine.com/health/read/article.jsp?cid=1071516](http://www.chatelaine.com/health/read/article.jsp?cid=1071516) ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2002, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-true-story-inspired-this-episode-of-law-order-spoilers/129275/4 "2002-09-23T17:19:16Z")
Thanks much for the replies.