How did you determine them to be credible?
My assumption is that any citation to a rumor should be totally dismissed if these questions can’t be answered.
Now do this repeatedly during your long and illustrious career.
“How it was said” was literally presented as unsubstantiated rumor. It’s not worth reflecting that when someone says “I heard a rumor that X…” it sounds like an unsubstantiated rumor. It’s just the basic structure of English language.
What you’re talking about would require a lot more than just one well meaning doctor.