An Australian mother of six shared news of her alleged terminal cancer diagnosis, leading to friends and strangers to start fundraising for her care— except she never had the disease, reported The Daily Telegraph.
Elizabeth “Elle” Edmunds, of New South Wales, told friends and family that she had been diagnosed with ovarian cancer in April, and that by September it had spread to her lungs. The 31-year-old detailed her alleged struggle online, including shaving her head and dreaming of her funeral.
A donation website raised nearly AU$2,000 and supporters held an AU$150 per person fundraising dinner for her in late October.
But last week, a man purporting to be Edmunds’ partner posted on the Facebook page documenting her cancer struggle, that everyone— including himself— had been duped.
“She has never had cancer,” he wrote on the page.
Police said they were investigating the alleged scam, but no charges have been filed yet. Her donation website was taken down. According to The Daily Telegraph, the money will be donated to the Children’s Hospital at Westmead in Sydney.
On Monday, the woman was asked to explain her actions and responded, “I’ve got extremely serious mental health issues.”
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