Mother 'drugged healthy son, 12, and shaved his head to convince him he was dying of cancer - to get

[Mimosa]

Source: UK Daily Mail

A mother convinced her 12-year-old son he was dying from cancer in an attempt to get donations from well-wishers.

Carol Lynn Schnuphase drugged her son Christopher to make him look ill and even shaved his head and eyebrows in an effort to convince people the youngster was dying from leukaemia.

The 47-year-old spiked her son's meals with drugs to make him appear ill before contacting local businesses and church groups to raise funds for his treatment.
Schnuphase

Investigators said Schnuphase was so convincing that she received more than $7,000 before her scam was discovered by her sister.



Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1316650/Mother-faces-jail-telling-son-12-cancer-bid-make-money-donations.html#ixzz11FS1JdfF

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1316650/Mother-faces-jail-telling-son-12-cancer-bid-make-money-donations.html

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This kind of scam couldn't happen in the UK or countries in Europe because they have nationalised health care.

[BrklynLiberal]

1. Munchhausen by Proxy

[FirstLight]

3. that's a really scary mental illness

i had a friend who did things to two of her children, (two marriages and two separate kids, 10 years apart)
she turned all of us against her exhusbands, telling uas they were the ones hurting the kids, and really damaged the kids as well, sexually abusing them between the ages of 2-7
she was institutionalized when the second husband managed to prove it with the younger girl
she's 8 now and living with her dad
the mom ended up driving off an icy road last winter, died, so sad...

and the oldest kid is a senior in highschool, living with his father as well

[KoKo]

6. Obviously ...someone OD'd on "East Enders" and had to have a "Go AT IT~

It's amazing what "Publicity can DO for MOVEMENTS...! And, I can't wait to see how this ends up!

[heavymetalguitar]

17. Scary!!

There are many cases that is similar to these. But, i think this is the worst that I have read, using her own so to get money from other people. The mother is very mentally sick and needs professional help..

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[Hannah Bell]

21. faking illness specifically to get money isn't munchausens. by proxy or otherwise.

[LisaL]

9. Munchhousen by Proxy is when a caregiver makes a child

sick on order to get attention from doctors.
Whereas this woman is accused of doing this to get monetary donations.

[Merlot]

10. Or really greedy.

[DCKit]

2. "...couldn't happen in the UK or countries in Europe because they have nationalised health care."

Really? WTF? Mentally ill people exist everywhere.

But thanks for your input on Medicare4Everyone.

[Occulus]

8. They mean this *particular* scam

because there's a real good chance here in the US that someone whose son is dying of cancer would easily be financially ruined by it.

That could not happen in a nation with single payer, because there would be no reason for the scammer to raise huge funds to pay for treatment. Nobody would buy such a scam were that the case, yet here in the US, the woman raised about $7K.

[KoKo]

4. Watch a lot of "Dock Block" on MSNBC these days?

:eyes:

[KittyWampus]

5. Mimosa, this has nothing to do with national health care. The woman is mentally ill

on a bunch of levels.

[Nevernose]

14. It's not mental illness; it was a con

And this particular con wouldn't have worked in Britain because there's no need to raise money to pay for sick children's health care. Granted, she probably would have just found another way of ripping people off...

[Hannah Bell]

19. no, she was trying to get money. everything anti-social isn't about mental illness. jesus.

[kestrel91316]

7. Munchausen by proxy has nothing to do with whether or not all citizens

receive the health care they are entitled to by birth or not.

[alfredo]

15. The defense might be Munchausen.

If that is the defense, she will be tested.

[Mimosa]

22. Not Munchausen. She wasn't taking her kid to doctors or seeking medical attention.

The woman was lying in order to receive donations. The article says her sister alerted people about it being a scam.

[WestSeattle2]

11. This definitely falls into the "WTF?!" category. That poor kid. n/t

[Odin2005]

12. It's not a scam, it's a mental illness, Muchausen's by Proxy.

[FirstLight]

13. for those upthread who don't get it....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BCnchausen_syndrome_by_proxy

[Hannah Bell]

20. no, feigning illness to get money isn't munchausen's.

In Münchausen syndrome, the affected person exaggerates or creates symptoms of illnesses in themselves to gain investigation, treatment, attention, sympathy, and comfort from medical personnel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M%C3%BCnchausen_syndrome

The word 'proxy' means 'substitute'. Munchausen by proxy is the involuntary use of another individual to play the patient role. For example, false symptoms are produced in children by the caregivers or parents (almost always mothers), to produce the appearance of illness, or they may give misleading medical histories about their children. The parent may falsify the child's medical history or tamper with laboratory tests in order to make the child appear sick. Occasionally, in Munchausen by proxy, the caregiver will actually injure the child to ensure that the child will be treated. Such parents enjoy the attention that they receive from having a sick child.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factitious_Disorder#Munchausen_by_proxy

[OneGrassRoot]

24. Yes, I agree with your assessment, Hannah Bell...

Doing this for personal financial gain -- rather than simply the attention of medical personnel -- is the aspect that takes it out of the Munchausen's realm, IMHO.

Appalling. :(

[Politicalboi]

16. This happened before

A few years maybe 10 years. It's amazing what some people do.

[lostnfound]

18. That poor child.

What a sick thing to put anyone through, but especially a child.

[Still Blue in PDX]

23. Maybe Munchausen, maybe not, but definitely WRONG.

It sounds like pure greed to me.

[Javaman]

25. Sociopathic grifter. nt