Manti Te'o girlfriend hoax shocks cancer fundraiser

January 18, 2013 (CHICAGO) -- A man inspired to raise money for cancer research following the death of Manti Teo's girlfriend, Lennay Kekua, says he is ''shell-shocked'' to find out it was a hoax.

Dan Tudesco set up an online account at fundraising website indiegogo.com on Jan. 9. His goal was to raise $5,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in memory of Lennay Kekua.

Te'o has said Kekua died of leukemia last fall. But online site Deadspin.com said Wednesday she didn't exist, and Notre Dame officials say Te'o was the victim of a hoax.

Tudesco says he wanted to turn Notre Dame's national championship loss into a positive by raising money for the cause.

He says the more than $4,300 raised will still go to the leukemia group.

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