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SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2009
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26

'Pregnancy' Blog Was Anti-Abortion Hoax

Blogger had thousands of followers

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(Newser) – A popular anti-abortion blog that told the story of a woman who gave birth to a terminally ill baby was a hoax, the Chicago Tribune reports. For months, thousands of readers logged on daily to follow "April's Mom." They rallied around her, sending photos, gifts, and prayers. On Sunday, the blogger wrote a post—picture included—saying she had given birth and that the baby died hours later.

That's when readers got suspicious. "I have that exact doll in my house," a blog follower said. "As soon as I saw that picture, I knew it was a scam." Eventually social worker Beccah Beushausen, 26, copped to the hoax. "I'm sorry because people were so emotionally involved," she said. Beushausen said she really did lose a baby, in 2005, and started the blog to express her anti-abortion views.

Beccah Beushausen said she started her blog in March to deal with the loss of a baby and express her anti-abortion views.
Beccah Beushausen said she started her blog in March to deal with the loss of a baby and express her anti-abortion views.   (AP Photo/The Kidd family)
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I feel emotionally exploited. - Jennifer McKinney, mycharmingkids.net

It was addictive to find out I had a voice that people wanted to hear. - Beccah Beushausen

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26 comments
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Robert_Dada
Jun 12, 09 11:57 AM CDT
Boy, people against abortion tend to be really stupid. Reply
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+16
IN RESPONSE:
godawgs
Jun 12, 09 12:04 PM CDT
that's a broad generalization that you shouldn't use.
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-3
IN RESPONSE:
Robert_Dada
Jun 12, 09 12:07 PM CDT
That's why I say 'tend to be' instead of 'are all'.
Vote up! Vote down!
+16
IN RESPONSE:
atomick
Jun 12, 09 12:10 PM CDT
People who are against abortion ARE ALL stupid. Godawgs just proved that point exquisitely. Thank you Godawgs, you dip shit.
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-8
IN RESPONSE:
2-bits
Jun 12, 09 12:12 PM CDT
I still think you're going to far by saying even "tend to be." A lot of anti-abortion people are intelligent, thoughtful people, they just don't speak out much. I do not support abortion myself, but the view that a life starts at conception is not in and of itself ridiculous. However, if they use the words "Chairman Barry" unironically then they are of course stupid as hell.
Vote up! Vote down!
+6

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