A 41-year-old US woman was arrested on Monday for running a donation scam by claiming her daughter had cancer. According to the New York Post, Pamela Reed from Ohio allegedly lied to her friends and family for years about the health of her 7-year-old daughter, whom she publicly portrayed on the internet as a blind and sickly child suffering from several diseases, including acute myeloid leukaemia and regular seizures. She even admitted to shaving her young child's head in order to sell the plot, cops said.
Community members generously "participated in fundraising efforts and had made monetary contributions to help the family offset medical costs," the Noble County Sheriff's Office said in a statement, as per the Post.
The 41-year-old's scam was uncovered by the local child services. She was charged with theft by deception - a felony of the fourth degree, which can lead to a year and a half of prison time.
According to Newsweek, Reed enticed several local organisations to participate in her fake fundraising efforts. One organization had donated around $8,000 to the family, cops said.
Reed posted images online of her 7-year-old daughter receiving medical scans. She even shaved the child's head to give the appearance she was undergoing cancer treatment. The child reportedly missed over 280 hours of school in the 2023-2024 year due to medical examinations. Moreover, the mother had previously also claimed that her child had severed aplastic anaemia, a disease that prevents bone marrow from creating enough blood cells.
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Reed's scheme came crashing down last week after an elementary school nurse discovered the little girl was not blind in her right eye as her mother had claimed. The nurse also confirmed that the 7-year-old did not have cancer or leukaemia, and she never had cancer or leukaemia.
Following her arrest, Reed "admitted during questioning that she had exaggerated and fabricated medical conditions to receive monetary donations from local organizations" and was transported to Noble County Jail, the sheriff's office said.
"Child abuse and neglect isn't always cut and dry, cookie cutter scenarios," Sheriff Jason Mackie, who led the investigation, and Misty Wells, the director of the Noble County Department of Job and Family Services, said in a joint statement. "If you as a professional or as a member of our community feel like something just isn't quite right, don't hesitate, make the report," they added.
According to officials, Reed's bond was set at $50,000. A preliminary hearing is set to take place on January 16.
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