Home / Crime and Justice / Mum Jailed for Faking Son's Cancer for Donations
Mum Jailed for Faking Son's Cancer for Donations
29 Apr
Summary
- Mother faked son's cancer, stealing $11,500 AUD.
- Son endured fake treatments, shaved head, and eye patch.
- Mother sentenced to over four years in prison.
A mother from Adelaide, Australia, has been imprisoned for faking her young son's cancer to solicit donations. Michelle Bodzsar falsely claimed her son had eye cancer, including three tumors, and needed extensive treatment.
She orchestrated a detailed deception, shaving her son's head and eyebrows, and making him wear bandages and an eye patch. The child was also forced to take pseudo medication, which the judge described as child maltreatment.
Bodzsar defrauded $11,500 AUD (£6,000) from loved ones and her community via a Facebook group. Her husband, unaware of the elaborate lie, only discovered the truth when she was arrested by police in May 2025.
The judge sentenced Bodzsar to four years, three months, and 20 days in prison, with a non-parole period of two years and four months. The sentence was backdated to December 12, 2024, making her eligible for parole in approximately one year.
Beyond the financial fraud, the court heard of the severe emotional toll on Bodzsar's children, with their daughter suffering abandonment anxiety. The deception also left the local school community feeling shocked, betrayed, and ashamed.
