The Woman Who Wasn't There

[oneh2obabe]

The Woman Who Wasn't There is a real-life psychological thriller and the story of an imposter who orchestrated a stunning deception. Tania Head's jaw-dropping tale of escape from the south tower was the most astounding: the unimaginable hell she witnessed, the injuries she suffered, and the tragic loss of her fiancée, Dave, in the north tower. She rose to national prominence when she became President of the World Trade Center Survivors' Network - putting survivors on the map and on the road to recovery.

Balance of article w/documentary (available for a limited time)
http://www.cbc.ca/passionateeye/episode ... asnt-there

[Rosemary1]

It was a very unusual strange story of someone who obviously has some mental issues. At least she didn't use her scam for personal profit and seems to have actually helped survivors - until her false story as a survivor was revealed.

[JayByrd]

Thank you for the link, oneh2obabe. I watched the documentary and it was fascinating.

As was said towards the end of the program, she'd had some trauma in her life (the car accident, as well as the downfall of her well-to-do family) that was probably never dealt with. In the WTC Survivor community, she found people who were healing and being supported the way she needed to be. Unfortunately, to access that, she had to make up her story of surviving the attacks. The whole ruse probably went much farther than she'd originally intended, and I think she may have even felt a duty to that community to keep up the façade. As I watched the interview footage with her, describing her ordeal and her (fictitious) relationship with Dave, I felt sad for her, that she needed to take it this far.