Woman Fakes Breast Cancer, Blames Mental Disorder
WEST SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - A local woman claimed she had breast cancer. Her family and friends were devastated, but it turns out she made the whole thing up.
When you first hear a mother faking cancer to get attention it sounds like a terrible crime, but then imagine being her husband. She didn't just fool her friends and neighbors, but close relatives. When CBS13 dug a little deeper, it turns out this woman may not have cancer but her husband says she has a different kind of illness all together.
A facebook event page shows friends and family sharing love and prayers asking how to donate to a woman now who seems to have fooled them all.
"You want to trust people especially when it comes to giving," said one person.
The VFW hall in West Saramento tells us in December they offered their facility to help Jaymie Litza. The commander says their hearts went out to her and had no reason to think she was lying. A couple hundred people packed the house and donated cash to what certainly looked like a sick mother of three.
"Thats wrong. That's really wrong. That's taking advantage of people that really care," said another person.
Her husband tells CBS13 off-camera a trip to the ER Saturday revealed that she didn't have caner at all. For 6 months Jaymie showed all the signs, he says. He was then told she has a different kind of illness called Münchausen syndrome.
"They purposefully act as if they have signs and symptoms of a disease and they purposefully do this for attention," said neurosurgeon Dr. Tushar Goradia.
It was all for attention that turned into cash for Jaymie. Dr. Goradia says people with this disorder often are very convincing.
"They learn about the signs and symptoms, they know how to behave and how the symptoms progress," said Dr. Goradia.
Jaymie's husband and her parents issued this statement:
"Jaymie does not, nor did she ever have cancer. She is however quite ill and is now receiving the proper treatment. We realize your selfless gift was given under the false impression that it was to help our family with the hardship that cancer caused. This is why we will make every step to return each and every donation."
Her husband says Jaymie is being treated for her disorder. They were already going through so much and now they're enduring an entirely different kind of pain tonight.
