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Ohio Mom Arrested For Pretending Her Daughter Had Leukemia In Six-Year Scam
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Ohio Mom Arrested For Pretending Her Daughter Had Leukemia In Six-Year Scam

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A six-year-long ruse finally came crashing down when a school nurse discovered that a seven-year-old girl was not actually blind in her right eye as her mother Pamela Reed had claimed. 

Because Reed had said the blindness was the result of her daughter’s fight with leukemia, the nurse contacted the girl’s healthcare provider only to learn that AR, as the girl is referred to in court documents, “did not have cancer or leukemia, and she never had cancer or leukemia,” according to an affidavit filed in Noble County Court in Ohio. In fact, the girl was perfectly healthy.

Since AR had missed more than 280 hours of classes this school year alone, the district reported the case to the police, who discovered that Reed had a far more sinister scheme than just keeping her daughter home from school. 

Image credits: Noble County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook

Image credits: Our “Rae” Of Sunshine – Team Addey Rae/Facebook

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Via a Facebook page with over 1,000 followers, Reed had scammed concerned community members out of thousands of dollars by posting regular fundraisers for treatment. A charitable organization even donated $8,000.

However, what really horrified social media was the lengths Reed went to to convince everyone, including her own family members, that her daughter was sick. In addition to falsified healthcare records, Reed changed the labels on prescription bottles so they appeared to be cancer medication. She even went so far as to give AR seizure drugs when the girl wasn’t actually ill.

The nurse contacted the girl’s healthcare provider only to learn that AR, as the girl is referred to in court documents, “did not have cancer or leukemia”

Image credits: Our “Rae” Of Sunshine – Team Addey Rae/Facebook

To maintain the lie, Reed shaved her daughter’s head to make her look like she was in cancer treatment and posted images on the Facebook page of the girl receiving medical care, including one of an ultrasound and another of AR as a toddler with a nose tube.

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A post from April 2020 even shows a pile of blood-filled vials, causing some to speculate what fake “treatments” Reed was subjecting her daughter to.

Via a Facebook page, Reed had scammed concerned community members out of thousands of dollars by posting regular fundraisers for treatment

Image credits: Our “Rae” Of Sunshine – Team Addey Rae/Facebook

AR’s mother made her miss over 280 hours of classes this school year alone

Image credits: Our “Rae” Of Sunshine – Team Addey Rae/Facebook

In the posts, Reed pleads for support. “[AR] could use some prayers going into the next few weeks…” she captioned a photo that appears to be of AR having blood drawn. “Pray we get some much needed answers!”

In addition to falsified healthcare records, Reed changed the labels on prescription bottles so they appeared to be cancer medication

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Image credits: Our “Rae” Of Sunshine – Team Addey Rae/Facebook

After these revelations, the Noble County Sheriff’s Office arrested Pamela Reed on charges of “theft by deception.” As a fourth-degree felony, this carries up to 18 months in prison and up to a $5,000 fine, according to Ohio law. Social services also removed the rest of Reed’s children from her home over “concerns for their safety.”

While she waits for her preliminary hearing on January 16, Reed, held on a $50,000 bond, was transported to Noble County Jail, where many social media commenters believe she belongs.

“I am so glad someone reported their concerns and saved this baby,” a reader commented

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Christian Monson

Christian Monson

Writer, BoredPanda staff

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Christian Monson is a professional writer originally from Arkansas. In addition to journalism and research for history, science and technology, and breaking news outlets, he writes scifi and literary fiction. He currently lives in Spain with his wife and two daughters.

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Christian Monson

Christian Monson

Writer, BoredPanda staff

Christian Monson is a professional writer originally from Arkansas. In addition to journalism and research for history, science and technology, and breaking news outlets, he writes scifi and literary fiction. He currently lives in Spain with his wife and two daughters.

Donata Leskauskaite

Donata Leskauskaite

Author, BoredPanda staff

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Hey there! I'm a Visual Editor in News team. My responsibility is to ensure that you can read the story not just through text, but also through photos. I get to work with a variety of topics ranging from celebrity drama to mind-blowing Nasa cosmic news. And let me tell you, that's what makes this job an absolute blast! Outside of work, you can find me sweating it out in dance classes or unleashing my creativity by drawing and creating digital paintings of different characters that lives in my head. I also love spending time outdoors and play board games with my friends.

Read less »

Donata Leskauskaite

Donata Leskauskaite

Author, BoredPanda staff

Hey there! I'm a Visual Editor in News team. My responsibility is to ensure that you can read the story not just through text, but also through photos. I get to work with a variety of topics ranging from celebrity drama to mind-blowing Nasa cosmic news. And let me tell you, that's what makes this job an absolute blast! Outside of work, you can find me sweating it out in dance classes or unleashing my creativity by drawing and creating digital paintings of different characters that lives in my head. I also love spending time outdoors and play board games with my friends.

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Justin Smith
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How the f**k is she not getting charged with child abuse?

Roan The Demon Kitty
Community Member
10 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

probably with an "insanity plea" given this could be a case of Munchausen By Proxy, which is a mental illness that for whatever reason (I don't fully understand it) causes a parent to fake symptoms in their child, for attention. (similar to the case of Gypsy Rose's mother) , it's quite awful, really. Because in many cases, it stems from the parent having suffered abuse/neglect as a child themselves, or they had an illness as a child that required long stays in hospital etc, and they weren't able to fully process it. And whilst psychotherapy can help those with Munchausen or Munchausen by Proxy, most will refuse to even admit they have it. Still, it excuses nothing, because what has been done to this child is obviously awful abuse. :(

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Freya (she/they/he)
Community Member
10 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Reminds me of the Gypsy Rose Blanchard story. Both were inflicted with insufferable abuse that will forever damage their lives. Another parallel is the Maddie Russo case; despite her actions, she got let off with a slap of the wrist that included three years of probation and paying back 33K to the victims she scammed.

Alison M.
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She deserves a longer sentence, and she definitely looks like a piece of s*** that should stay in jail. So sad for the little girl.

Load More Comments
Justin Smith
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

How the f**k is she not getting charged with child abuse?

Roan The Demon Kitty
Community Member
10 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

probably with an "insanity plea" given this could be a case of Munchausen By Proxy, which is a mental illness that for whatever reason (I don't fully understand it) causes a parent to fake symptoms in their child, for attention. (similar to the case of Gypsy Rose's mother) , it's quite awful, really. Because in many cases, it stems from the parent having suffered abuse/neglect as a child themselves, or they had an illness as a child that required long stays in hospital etc, and they weren't able to fully process it. And whilst psychotherapy can help those with Munchausen or Munchausen by Proxy, most will refuse to even admit they have it. Still, it excuses nothing, because what has been done to this child is obviously awful abuse. :(

Load More Replies...
Freya (she/they/he)
Community Member
10 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Reminds me of the Gypsy Rose Blanchard story. Both were inflicted with insufferable abuse that will forever damage their lives. Another parallel is the Maddie Russo case; despite her actions, she got let off with a slap of the wrist that included three years of probation and paying back 33K to the victims she scammed.

Alison M.
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

She deserves a longer sentence, and she definitely looks like a piece of s*** that should stay in jail. So sad for the little girl.

Load More Comments
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