It was September 2007 and I remember the phone ringing and it being Jennifer Adams from the September 11 Families Association. She was calling to give me a “heads up” about a story that would be appearing in the New York Times the next day. A reporter from the New York Times had been working on a story about Tania Head and as he was verify various facts some things didn’t add up. The story being released the next day would report that Tania Head was a fake. What!?! Her story of being in the south tower and being one of only 20 people to escape from above the impact zone was a fake. And not only being a survivor but also of having lost her finance in the north tower. Really !?! I mean really – she made it up. She had burns on her arm. She was the head of the survivor network. She did the tours for the “bigwigs”. I had stood next to this woman while leading tours for the Tribute Center and shared my very real personal story and she had lied. Wow!!!
I was dumbfounded. A friend said didn’t anyone check that her story was true. Well, why would someone lie about all of that. Any of us who had a story would have been grateful to not have a story. I felt betrayed but mostly I was heartbroken for those who had truly befriended her. I was heartbroken for the real survivors who had trusted her with their stories. I was also fearful of what would happen to the Tribute Center and the tours. It was a truly bizarre time.
As this book about her is published (& the possible media frenzy that will follow), would you please join me in praying for her “friends” and all those who have real stories. There is so much about September 11, 2001 that is unbelievable but that someone would fake a story – that is unimaginable.
here is a link to the daily news story:
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/woman-explores-bizarre-tale-tania-head-article-1.1050614
