Stranger helping local family unravel heartbreaking hoax
SEATTLE -- A local family is still reeling after they say a stranger preyed on their terminally ill son, but now another stranger is stepping up to help unravel the heartbreaking mystery.
It was the generosity of a complete stranger that gave the Doty family hope that their son's life could be saved by expensive cancer treatments. But the promise of big bucks for that treatment turned out to be hoax and possibly cost a young man his life.
In December, 20-year-old Thomas Doty lost his battle with a rare form of bone cancer called Osteosarcoma.
Treatment options were running out last summer when the Doty family found a California hospital that could help treat Thomas. But it was expensive and it wasn't covered by insurance.
That's when a famous family friend stepped in to help. Jonathan Hillstrand, star of the television show "the Deadliest Catch," asked his fans to help the Doty family.
Shortly after that message, it seemed a miracle had happened. A stranger emailed Thomas' mother, promising a check for $250,000.
But after eight weeks of back and forth, stories and reassurances, the money never came. It was time Thomas could have been receiving life-saving treatment. Instead, he was slowly slipping away.
Tiffany Doty said the mysterious woman went to great lengths to dupe the family, even sending false bank statements.
"So it wasn't that I was so naive, I was desperate," Tiffany Doty said.
Thomas did make it to California, but doctors say it wasn't soon enough.
After learning of the Doty family's heartbreaking story, Amber Mcintosh decided she wanted to help find out who was responsible for the hoax. Mcintosh had never met the Doty family, but she said the story touched her and she wanted to solve the mystery.
"I've always been good digging up random information online," she said.
Mcintosh, a mother from Florida, started a Facebook page and did some serious online detective work to get to the bottom of the story.
And now she thinks she has finally found the guilty party in New York.
The problem is, because the hoaxer didn't benefit financially, New York police say there's nothing they can do.
The Doty family plans to keep fighting until they get justice. They plan to lobby state lawmakers to put laws in place that would protect other from similar tragedies.
It was the generosity of a complete stranger that gave the Doty family hope that their son's life could be saved by expensive cancer treatments. But the promise of big bucks for that treatment turned out to be hoax and possibly cost a young man his life.
In December, 20-year-old Thomas Doty lost his battle with a rare form of bone cancer called Osteosarcoma.
Treatment options were running out last summer when the Doty family found a California hospital that could help treat Thomas. But it was expensive and it wasn't covered by insurance.
That's when a famous family friend stepped in to help. Jonathan Hillstrand, star of the television show "the Deadliest Catch," asked his fans to help the Doty family.
Shortly after that message, it seemed a miracle had happened. A stranger emailed Thomas' mother, promising a check for $250,000.
But after eight weeks of back and forth, stories and reassurances, the money never came. It was time Thomas could have been receiving life-saving treatment. Instead, he was slowly slipping away.
Tiffany Doty said the mysterious woman went to great lengths to dupe the family, even sending false bank statements.
"So it wasn't that I was so naive, I was desperate," Tiffany Doty said.
Thomas did make it to California, but doctors say it wasn't soon enough.
After learning of the Doty family's heartbreaking story, Amber Mcintosh decided she wanted to help find out who was responsible for the hoax. Mcintosh had never met the Doty family, but she said the story touched her and she wanted to solve the mystery.
"I've always been good digging up random information online," she said.
Mcintosh, a mother from Florida, started a Facebook page and did some serious online detective work to get to the bottom of the story.
And now she thinks she has finally found the guilty party in New York.
The problem is, because the hoaxer didn't benefit financially, New York police say there's nothing they can do.
The Doty family plans to keep fighting until they get justice. They plan to lobby state lawmakers to put laws in place that would protect other from similar tragedies.
God don't like ugly and this chick id SCREWED!
Tell us who did it. I'll send them a dollar for pulling off an awesome hoax. Of course, that also means that the person has benifited financially from their act, and can be subject to charges.
Itâs a shame that the law doesnât take into consideration that this hoax at least sped up his death so that the hoaxer could be charged with some form of manslaughter.
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You canât always put your faith in karma.
Why is it that nobody has asked the question WHY Hillstrand did not stand up and donate the money? He caused this. He should have fixed it. These sellouts are rolling in money.
@slappywag With respect to your comment, perhaps if you read the previous comments posted here it will shed light on your uninformed question. Thomas Doty is the victim that Johnathan went to great measures to help - more than he would take credit for.
 It's a shame the stranger on the internet didn't come through with her promise of a check for a Quarter $Million Dollars.
I find this hoax awful and I know the family was desperate, but why would you put so much faith in the word of a stranger?Â
@Isadora To answer your question please read my previous posting by scrolling down at the beginning of the commentary. There is so much more to this layered story that is impossible to convey without a complete investigation.
Apparently the freak who did this is named Marci Rose. There is lots of information out on the net about this and even her photo. How a middle-aged woman could do this is beyond me. Why she doesn't know now, that it is not all about her is sad. What a freak to prey upon this family.
Ok, this story again. Believe me, I feel for the family who lost their son, but that's where my sympathy ends. This mother wasted 8 weeks waiting on a DONATION from a hoaxer. If I was in her position, I wouldn't have stopped trying to do everything I could to raise the money instead of putting all my eggs in a stranger's basket. The mother wants justice for her son? Well then she shouldn't have given up trying to raise the money to get him the treatments.
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 @Tattooed_Angel It bothers me they want the money now more than ever to pay off bills, it's like they exploited their kid's cancer for personal income. Why didn't John Hillstrand (star of the television show: The Deadliest Catch) give them the money? They didn't get the money for the controversial treatment meant to save their Kid's life but now they just can't stop themselves from continuing to raise funds. Why not go about it the old fashioned way, get a job and earn it ?
 @joefuss  @Tattooed_Angel If you read the Watertown Daily News article about this, you'll see that they are starting a foundation.  Paperwork is in place and as soon as it gets the green light and the 501c3 letter from the IRS, the foundation will be able to provide money to other families who are in similar situations and seeking alternative treatments that insurance will not cover.  This foundation was Thomas' wish. Â
@joefuss @Tattooed_Angel This is a prime example why those that are clueless of the DETAILS of this deeply layered story should refrain from passing judgment toward this lovely family, a family that is grieving beyond description over the loss of their son! One example - Johnathan DID contribute financially as well as visiting his dear friend, Thomas, and the family many, many times. Again, a show of compassion, an offer of condolence is due this family instead of passing judgment.
The person did it, no doubt, out of a desire to get "noticed" and to "impress" the reality tv star. Yes, there are people out there twisted enough to actually put a guy who is on a tv show about fishing, on a pedestal that way. Â It's America's obsession with fame, that we make people famous for next to nothing... and she wanted some of that. Â
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Unfortunately, she was deranged enough to draw the desperate family into her drama. Â Though I don't understand why they would stop treating him for 8 weeks waiting for a check. That part doesn't make sense. Â The REAL crime?? Is that our medical system is so corporatized that a wonderful young man like that could die because a "hospital" refused to treat him without a big check in his hand. Â Corporatized medicine... that is just all shades of wrong. Â Basic needs like health care should be available to everyone, not just the wealthy or those lucky enough to be employed somewhere with good insurance. Â
What that peron did is sick and twisted and way off the charts as a psycopath. I mean what did that person get doing that some sick twisted kicks? Mentaly deranged is what comes to my mind and they need to be locked up in a nutt house.
Why do we need laws to make it illegal to make promises and not keep them? While I feel very bad for this family they were emotionally taken advantage of by this person. There may just have been a very misguided attempt to help keep this family hopes alive till a true beneficent could be found, or just a witch that likes to make themselves feel good at the expense of others. That being said there does not need to be new laws to make reneging on a promise against the law.
The way you live your life eventually comes full circle back to you. The deed this hoaxer pulled on this family with their ill son is the way the hoaxer lives his/her entire life, not just in this case. Therefore eventhough there might not be society laws to punish this person there are Universal laws and everything you do comes back to you.
It just kills me to even try to think wtf is wrong with these people! Seriously? I hope these dirtabgs aare proud!
Just looking into your sons eyes I can see what a good person he was, the screen shot say's a lot. I am so sorry for your loss.
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Saying things I FEEL, like what the person deserves doesn't do you any good. I'm not that much of a religious man but there is a place for people that did this to your son, and I'll pray for your family.
I lost one of my dogs to osteosarcoma. It can be a very fast killer.
In just two weeks, from the first signs to confirmation of the diagnosis, it had spread to the lungs and it was clear there was no hope. Someone dealing with that situation with their kid would be very susceptible to manipulations of false hope.
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I hope they find out who is responsible for the fraud. They deserve to be held accountable.
If it sounds too good to be true, don't spend the money until you see it.
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I am sorry for their tragic loss of their child.
@flashlight The mother should have never counted on that money. She should have done everything she could to try to make sure the money was raised. Her son is dead because she put her faith in a STRANGER.
 @Tattooed_Angel  @flashlight Tattooed, you are a pig and should not comment unless you have been in that position. How dare you blame the victim. The family was desparate and needed hope. She took their hope. They deserve better than your one sided judgment. Shame on you!
@Tattooed_Angel
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Caw, you are wasting your time responding to this person.Â
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The story is not about having a backup plan. The story is about a bad person who hurt a family. If the family didn't have $250,000 how could they have a backup plan Angel? You ass.Â
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Angel,
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You have almost 2,000 posts on KOMO stories. Enough said.
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 @Tattooed_Angel It didn't sound like the mother had any other option but to wait for funds that never showed up. She didn't have the money herself to send her child to the hospital. I doubt that she just stopped trying for other options while waiting for the lowlife to come through with a promise. Apparently something else did come through but not soon enough.
@caw Shame on me? I speak the truth. It's not my fault the mother counted on some jerk to fund her son's treatments without having a backup plan. If it were my child I wouldn't have waited around for 8 WEEKS waiting for a check that wasn't coming. Especially when her son didn't have time to waste.
How about we draft laws to protect people from having this happen to them. Those laws would contain phrases that forced insurance companies to pay for the care of a diagnosed condition such as this.People pay for insurance for things just like this, the catastrophic events that can completely and utterly ruin a family financially. It really galls me that insurance companies get to pick and choose what diseases they will and wont pay for, or what treatments they will or wont pay for.How about, if a doctor diagnoses it, then the insurance company can do one of two things 1. Request a diagnoses from another doctor. 2. Pay for treatments of the patient. I would also add in that an insurance company cannot drop you because you get a major disease or illness. They must pay for treatments (so long as the family still pays for the contracted cost of the insurance).This is a sad story, but would never have happened had the insurance company stepped up and done the job it is supposed to do.Â
@Jalharad this probably was a treatment that was not approved as yet - stil in clinical trials that he perhaps did not qualify to be in the trial, etc. Insurances don't cover unapproved treatments. So - if you want the treatment one must have other means to pay for it.
 @justme  @Jalharad The insurance companies are criminal. Have been dealing with them regarding health issues and it is crazy what they won't approve and the hoops you have to jump through.Â
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Johnathan Hillstrand was duped by a CATFISH just like Manti Te'o. I feel for Te'o but unlike the Te'o story his fake girlfriend did not exist, did not have cancer, and did NOT die!  The crazed woman that invloved the young Doty boy used the final months of his extremely painful life, filling him with false hope in an attempt to impress another celebrity figure, Johnathan Hillstrand!  IMO, the actions of this woman and the lengths that she went to trying to keep the hoax going is as low as one can go and it must stop!
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Johnathan simply released a video pleading to his fans in a heartfelt attempt to help his friends of 8 years. Why wouldn't the family believe the generous offer wasn't sincere when the donation was coming from what everyone believed to be a friend of Johnathan's, even Johnathan himelf believed the woman, just as Te'o did. Johnathan Hillstrand's hoaxer was not perceived to be a stranger at this time but it didn't take long for reality to set in. Thomas Doty is the REAL vicitim in all of this, Thomas did not deserve what this very sick individual perpetrated. Â
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Dr. Phil interviewed the Te'o hoaxer in a two-part interview that concluded just today. Dr. Phil reminded the viewers that Mant's CATFISH hoaxer did not benefit financially, received no gifts, etc, and neither did the Hoaxer from NY benefit financially, but she did lead Thomas and his family on for weeks, harvested fb photos from countless innoncent users that dated back to her high school days that she used in her CATFISH hoax to bait Johnathan Hillstrand.Â
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Dr. Phil made this statment to Manti's hoaxer, "You lied, deceived, and perpetrated a fraud."
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Thank God for people like, Amber McIntosh, who saw a wrong done, and didn't turn a deaf ear!
Well, let the world know who this POS is.Â
@Special Force google Amber Mcintosh + doty and you'll find a post with that freaks photo and real name.
sadly, internet hoax involving "promises" made by someone they have never met are happening all the time. Look at the Norte Dame player and his "girlfriend" who " died" of leukemia.Â
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Why people seem to be so naive' with those they only know on internet is beyond me.Â
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There's a reality show called "Catfish" that highlights these episodes. It's absolutely mind boggling crazy.
Our society is too litigious as a whole, but this is one instance where I think suing is an appropriate response, they can donate the money to other cancer patients so that maybe they'll have the shot their son should have had.
Why would anyone do something so cruel, esp. if they don't get any benefit out of it? Â Hugs to the family in the loss of their son.
 @Smartypants The sicko was trying to impress someone from a reality TV show. Wish they'd name the individual in question.
 @Just_Mike  @Smartypants I don't think so... why give her any fame at all? That seems to be what she craved.Â