Teen admits creating ID as cancer patient

KINGSPORT, Tenn., March 14 (UPI) -- A teenage girl in Tennessee has admitted that she created a fake online identity as a 14-year-old with leukemia.

The girl's parents said that she felt guilty after seeing a news story about the imposter and told them what she had done, the Kingsport Times News reported. Jeff McKittrick, the resource officer at Sullivan South High School in Kingsport, said the parents believe their daughter was looking for attention.

"At this point after talking with the parents we do not think she did this as a way to get money. She just wanted to have some attention shown her way and get e-mails. She made the whole thing up," McKittrick said.

The girl posted her fake story on Caring Bridge, a Web site for sick children and their families. She claimed to be a gymnast and a student at Sullivan South -- she lived in another county -- and said she was in a hospital getting treatment, describing leading prayers for younger children on the same floor.

She posted a photo of a real Sullivan South student, which she had lifted from MySpace. The Caring Bridge page was taken down at least twice because of complaints about the information.