Description: Viral wall posting / Hoax
Circulating since: Oct. 2011
Status: False
Analysis: Exactly how circulating an uncaptioned photo of an unnamed patient in an undisclosed medical facility is supposed to result in a free heart transplant for that patient is a mystery, to say the least.
Another version of the posting offers slightly more information. Here is the text:
I NEED AT LEAST 10000 SHARES.Plz share..... Heart surgery free of cost for children (0-10 Yrs) Ph : 080-28411500 It might save some1's life...! Sharing takes a second... in bangalore INDIA
More than likes, sharing can help !
The telephone number is authentic and belongs to the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, Whitefield in Bangalore, India, where all medical services are indeed offered free of charge.
Said medical services are not contingent on Facebook shares, however.
Nor is the child depicted in the photo an actual patient at the Institute. As noted on Hoax-Slayer.com, the image is dated September 2008 and was lifted from the Chernobyl Children's Project International website.
Whether it's 100 shares or 10,000, spamming your Facebook friends with this fabricated nonsense serves no useful purpose.
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Sources and further reading:
Free Heart Surgery for Children - Facebook Share
Hoax-Slayer.com, 19 October 2011Facebook Rumors & Hoaxes
Urban Legends
Last updated 01/01/11
